Saturday, July 26, 2008

It's still Saturday Night and people are jackasses!

We had a family renting 3 units checkin earlier this afternoon and they had a trailer behind the car loaded with their crap. They pulled into a space belonging to another apartment to unload and we let that go. But after they hadn't been near the car for an hour Sara called one of the apartments and told the man he would have to move the car. He came down, moved his car to the back lot and during a search of the lot Sara realized the 3 units already had cars on the lot, so she called the unit back and told the gentlemen(and I use that term loosely) that he would have to remove his car from the lot as they already had 3 cars there. This jackass admits he isn't staying with us but then says, "I can't find a parking space." Sara explains that this isn't our problem and his being here is taking the parking from another unit so he really must remove his car. So then he asks her where he can park it. You know we can tell them where to park but they never want to go there because it means they have to walk 2 blocks..2 blocks people, not a mile. Anyhow, after many words were passed back and forth he finally moved his car. Sara is having a fun summer people...all I can say is if she doesn't kill a tenant before summer's end I'll call this summer a success.

Sunday...well, just when I think I'm going to get through the day without a rant, well someone walks in and it's game on. I get to the shop at 4 to take over my shift and there was a woman with overdyed ribbon and overdyed silks in her hand talking to Pat, who was working Salty Yarns today. I took one look at the woman's head and almost had to tell her the truth. Pat sees me and says, "here is the woman who can help you out." So I ask what the problem was and this woman wants to purchase the overdyed ribbon and silk to wrap around her pony tail. Now at this point you may not see the problem...but you had to see her hair. Now ladies, I don't mean to be racist, and I don't think I am when I state...white women do not look good in corn rows...and I mean that with every fiber of my being. Perhaps Bo Derek looked gorgeous, but she would have looked gorgeous bald, that doesn't mean all of us should rush out and shave our heads, although I have to tell you I have seen many beautiful women with no hair...but I digress. African Americans have it all over us when it comes to corn rows. So for God's sake let the African American woman who looks wonderful with this "do" have it...I happen not to like the bleached blond look on African American women...although I don't always like it on American women either, but I think I'm digressing again. Anyway, not only did this woman not look good, she looked down right bad. And the corn rows pulled up in a pony tail (which probably measured about 3 inches so it stuck straight out like a horse's tail as the horse is taking a poop.) So I'm looking at this red hot mess wondering why she would spend any money on something to wrap around it when she should be putting a bag over her head and I would have gladly given her one for free. I have to give Pat credit because she never cracked a smile and spoke to the woman like it all made sense. But when the woman left, Pat looked at me and I said, "I'm sure glad you didn't look at me while she was here because I know I would have peed all over myself laughing." Pat knew it was going to be crap shoot if she looked at me so she decided not to until the woman was out the door. So all the light skinned ladies who think this style is cute...forget about it...we look ridiculous in corn rows. It's one of those nights in the shop where not much is going on...it just rained for a short time, probably no more than 20 minutes, and since it's early the people are back out and shopping. Unfortunately I'm getting the mothers who are trying to get some peace and quiet by hiding from their kids...the unfortunate part, the kids are finding them and then I have to deal with the monsters and listen to their nagging. One little urchin sat in the chair by the glasses and I just knew this wasn't going to be good. But I said nothing as she tried on glass after glass, and then I saw her try to take the magnetic plastic on the lens telling you what strength it is. She saw me look at her so she put them back, but then took another pair and the little pain in the ass then puts them under the counter where I couldn't see them, however, she's an idiot because I stand up and see her pulling on the tag. So I said loudly, "Please do not take that off because it shows what the strength of the lens is. I then look at her mother who acts like she's my problem. I hate mothers like this. I just dealt with a young child probably about 8 with her weekend father and he was just following her around while she annoyed me with questions. This was after she walked in, came to the counter, raised her Shell Stocked bag and said, "I just spent $11 in this shop so I won't be spending any money here." I don't believe there's a sign stating you have to spend money in the shop, but apparently she feels she must tell you. Then she asks if the shop was here last year and when I said yes she then said, "That must be why you look so familiar." This kid could not have been more than 8. Meanwhile her father just follows her like a puppy and never says a word. Precocious little twit. I made the mistake of letting her see me stitching and then I had to play 20 questions with her while she explained how her grandmother let her sew on a dishrag...it was a fascinating and stimulating conversation...after which thankfully she left. These have been my most unforgetable characters in tonight. Be glad you missed them. I'm stitching for the first time in I don't know how long...but I'm still working on Scatter Freedom by Shepherd's Bush. The good news..at this pace I should be done in a month. Seriously, I could get this done in a couple of nights if I just worked on it. Normally I'm sitting here like I'm in shell shock...or half asleep, but tonight I'm determined to get something done...and here I sit blogging so I don't have to. No, I'm done blogging...it's time to stitch. Have a great evening...should anything absurd happen you know I'll come back to tell you about it. O.K. something absurd has happened...we can't get the front door to lock...I may be here all night and if I am I'm going to be blogging to let you know how upset I am to be here all night....hold on to your hats ladies it could be a bumpy night.

Another Saturday Night....

Well, my day started off brightly, Carol B. learned her lesson from last year (when she didn't bring me donuts) and brought me a dozen donuts (which we all know I need like a hole in the head) so I was off to a running start. Thanks Carol...you're a peach! Carol, Sara and I are all heading off the the Moss Creek Retreat in October and we can't wait. I was suppose to share the donuts, at least one with Renee, but I'm afraid that by the time I was ready to take one over....the family had eaten them (and I don't mean just me). So I'm afraid Renee lost out this time. I'll make it up to her though. I've spent the day working on a report for the tax office in Snow Hill...so you know I'm having fun. This is so darn complicated to fill out I really think they make you do it so you give up and say I'll pay whatever you say. But I'm not giving up...I've made a pact with myself to get this damn thing done by Monday when I will walk it down to Snow Hill (O.K. I won't walk 2 blocks...so you know I'm not walking to Snow Hill)..anyway, it will be done, right or wrong, and handed over. I will feel like a giant weights been lifted at that point (it was suppose to be done 1 month ago...I'm a little late). Other than that my day's been a walk in the park. Unfortunately poor Sara has not only been running her ass off, but she had the pleasant surprise of an eruption in the powder room to clean up. If there is one thing you don't want to hear when you own a hotel is, "you might want to take a look at your bathroom." My policy has always been I will not ask someone to do something I would not do myself. And that includes cleaning up a "shitty" bathroom. I have never asked housekeepers to do that when the shit literally hits the fan, I've always tried to put my gag reflex on hold and done it myself. Thankfully those days are over for me (most of the time) and poor ole Sara has had to take on the duty. And apparently the little old lady Sara let use the powder room just didn't make it. Sara said it was all over the floor, toilet, you name it she hit it. And then she used my little finger tip towels to try to clean it up...my finger tip towels...can you imagine. I just got new ones and I'm sure they are the ones she used. Sara carried those things out to the dumpster without passing go. And of course this would be the time a couple of people offered to take them from her, (they had no clue what was going on), but Sara did it all by herself. Sara is going to win an award for patience and perserverance after this summer...I'm telling you! I'm just grateful to be out of Salty Yarns for a couple of shifts...I go back in tomorrow night...because I know I was on the edge with the slobs pulling on the Vera Bradley. On the edge, enough to say something totally appropriate perhaps, but shouldn't be said by the owner. Well, we don't want to get me started again on that. E-mailed the gals at Fern Ridge...and they are on board with teaching at the 2009 Jamboree...so now we're half way home on that Jamboree. Our 2008 Jamboree goodie bags have been arriving all summer and I got an e-mail to let me know the final bags have been sent...whoppee!!!!! That is one job that turned out right (at least I think so...I still haven't opened all the cartons to see if the item is in tact...I guess I better do just that). We don't have as many participants this year, I do believe I've got it back down to 60 which is the perfect number I think. We do have some new participants so that will be good...we like fresh faces and we all do get along so this will be fun. And as usual I didn't get Joyce C. present to her in time for her birthday...sorry Joyce, but Belated Happy Birthday....let's pretend it's the 21st. I really don't know what's wrong with me...I can't seem to rally anymore and catch up. I will say this...my desk has been straightened up for over a week. Yes, over a week. It's scaring the girls...they probably think I'm dying and am trying to get everything in order...and if I am it will come as a surprise to me, but I hope I'm not because my house is an embarrassment since I've not raised a finger to straighten it up since I started working at night. I go home, sit for an hour or two thinking about stitching (that's about all I can muster) and then go to sleep only to wake up in a couple of hours to go to the bathroom and then it's back to sleep for a couple of hours and this goes on until it's morning when I get dressed and go to work. Yea, fun times...fun times! But don't feel sorry for me because this is only for 6 months and then the hotel closes and for me that signals days off. So working 14 hour days for a few months pays off in the off season. However, now that people my age are retiring...it's harder for me to get enthusiastic enough to work 14 hour days. Retirement...ahh, getting up when and if you feel like it and then deciding what you want to do for the day...that sounds like a perfect life. If it is, how come so many retired people are working part time? My father retired and barely got out of the seat again, but my mother kept working until the day she died. She just couldn't sit still. I would love the opportunity to try relaxing everyday...but something tells me that is not in the cards for me. I will say, many, many years ago, after the hotel closed we took the family (the girls were little) to Florida and we left with no time limits upon us. I told the girls in the shop we would return when we felt like it. At first I was fine...called the shop every few days to check in, and we leisurely drove to Florida, stopping in Pawley's Island, Charleston, Savannah and then to Disneyworld. We spent the week, oops, 6 days at Disneyworld and on the 7th day I said, "I swear if I see that mouse again I'm going to kill him. We need to get the heck out of here." The family agreed that perhaps a week was too long for me in Disneyworld and so we left and drove home. I had enough of vacation after 2 weeks. I was itching to get back and go back to work. I feel guilty first of all if I leave the shop. I just know they can't run it without me. (we saw that wasn't the case last year with me in France) But, I'm destined to work forever and I guess I'm alright with that. For those in far away places, the weather here has been questionable at times, but generally it's really sunny and warm during the day and usually warm in the evening and today the humidity is down so that's a good thing. Oops...Connie's calling from the shop...got to run...talk more if anything ever happens here.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Trollbead University.....

Thursday, July 24th... Lucy, my rep., came by yesterday to teach us about the beads again, and is apparently going to make visits every 2 weeks...drat my luck, I was planning to move some merchandise back onto the counter, but this has thwarted my plan...oh, well. At least we all did well during the class. Lucy's enthusiasm can be a bit much as she approaches everyone who comes into the shop, which is so not our style. However, by the end of the 4 hours (yes, 4 hours of Lucy promoting) even Lucy toned down somewhat and just sat there talking to me and stopped approaching anyone who wasn't zeroed in on the bracelets. We are selling it so I'm thrilled and so was Lucy when I handed her a reorder. Sandy J. was in with her Camilia bracelet which as it turns out can be used interchangably with the Troll beads. So we had fun trying beads on her bracelet. She's actually going to do theme bracelets...yesterdays was 4th of July. She had the silver flag charm and needed Murano beads for the red/white and blue. I did a double shift in the shop yesterday...yes 12 hours straight, and I can tell you by the night shift I was less than enthusiastic about anything. First my new ICU glasses display arrived and was not as promised (and why am I surprised?) I am trying desparately to corral all the reading glasses and sun readers by getting them on one rack. I ordered a rack that would work, only to have a different rack show up and when I called them they gave me some bull about they never send the rack for sunglasses when you order reading glasses...which is not what was said when I first called and ordered. And the glasses were so not what I was expecting....honestly, what were they thinking...while I may keep this order since there were several I did like, the chances of me ordering again are slim to none...so what was the point of screwing me over? Anyway, I'm exhausted today so I'm of no use to anyone, including myself. I shall plow on in hopes of getting some work done, but that's almost a mute point at this stage of the game. While I was keeping the kids occupied with monopoly, some idiot in the lobby put a muffin, or should I say tried to put a muffin through the commercial toaster which of course not only jammed it, but it stops the mechanism so that smoke starts which sets off the fire alarm...which is why we have a sign attached to the front of the toaster saying..."PLEASE DO NOT PUT MUFFINS OR DANISH THROUGH THIS TOASTER...THEY DO NOT FIT"...now I'm not sure which part of this is unclear...but apparently this sign does not work...attached to the front where you would have to be blind not to see it..anyway, Sara and Mary are dealing with that. I'm done dealing with idiots...I am only requiring myself to handle them in the shop. Fortunately, I get just a few a day if any. Oh, yea, I think I've ranted about this before, so this will be a refresher. Yesterday a woman made the mistake of coming up to me and saying..."yes I need a sampler that would be 5" x 7"." I spent a few seconds looking at her with that 'what the hell' look on my face before I composed myself and said, "frankly we don't put our leaflets on the racks according to the size the finished piece comes out to be so you are going to have to go through every rack, read each leaflet to see the finished size." I did get out of my chair to start her off on racks I thought might have samplers that size, but really people...don't ask shop personnel to find pieces to fit the frames you have. If you want something to fit a frame first think about the subject matter. Then ask if we have anything regarding the subject matter...that at least limits the number of racks we have to search. But just saying I don't care I just need it to be 5 x 7...that's crap. I might add she ended up with one of Renee's pieces that are about 3 x 18...so I'm not sure what happened with the 5 x 7, except when she was required to look herself it wasn't so important. Friday...July 25th...I'm exhausted and just coming off 3 straight shifts...good God, I'm not even pleasant to myself. Sara asked me to take a nap since she felt I was bitchy, but if you knew what I put up with in that shop even you would have an attitude. I started out alright, got up...took a shower...came to work and that might have been my first mistake. Everything I did today ended up being a fiasco. I received a Nordic Needle order today, went to move the open box, and it turned over and all the popcorn crap came out behind the counter (and you know I don't like cleaning). Then I got the tickets confused and now I have to redo some of the tickets. And the crowning blow for me was...the Vera Bradley section was a mess, I'm telling you it was like they went in there and just started throwing bags. There were bags on the floor along with the stuffing from some of the bags. Things were out of order big time. I calmly decided to straighten the mess up...and after an hour I had the shelves all done and stood back and thought, "Yes, it looks as it should, very neat and orderly." And then the herd came through...I'm telling you when they stormed the door I knew it wasn't going to be pretty and I wasn't far from wrong. When they finally left (most of them with all the money they came through the door with) I went over to see what they had done and honestly it was a mess all over again. Why do people think it's alright to take the paper stuffing we put in the bags for shape, out of the bag and throw it on the floor...that's what I said, the pigs threw it on my floor. I was furious with the way they left my shop. I could have strangled each and every one of them. And one went on and on about the microfiber and how she had to get it because they are so hard to find, (according to her), and she had to have that bag. Needless to say the minute I heard her talking I knew it was not going to end up in a sale...the more people tell me how they are going to spend a fortune, the more I know that person won't even open their wallets. It's the same with tenants who think they've left the apartment the way they found it. My mother and I use to clean apartments between tenants for my grandmother who had the first real estate office on the island. Mother and I would be walking the buckets and cleaning supplies all over the area as we did the cleaning (and I never received a dime from my grandmother for that....crap!) When someone would come into the office and say, "Mrs. Frame you won't have to clean a thing, we left it just the way we found it." Mother and I would look at each other and we'd load extra cleaning supplies because we knew that place would be a dump when we went in. We'd practically had to shovel the sand and debris out. I've never understood how anyone can think they have cleaned something when they so clearly hadn't. Well it's the same thing in the shop....if a woman comes in proclaiming that she's in her element and she's going to spend every cent she has, we all know to stay seated because this one's not going to spend a cent. Now don't get me wrong...I don't expect everyone that walks through the door to spend money...but most people don't make the announcement when they enter. I have had good news this week. The Russian student now working in Sea Trader (did I tell you I had to let the one that drove me nuts go?) Anyway, I love this kid...she works hard, restocks, cleans...she's a gem. She and I get alone fine...although I'm not sure if the rest of the students heard about me firing the last girl, and so they are all tiptoeing around me. Normally they pay no attention to me because they think I work for Sara so Sara is the one they go to. And I leave it like that, but when that other girl argued with me last Saturday night I knew her ticket was going to get punched. I've never had a foreign student talk back to me...never given them a reason. I still didn't give the girl a reason and yet she felt it necessary to give me her 2 cents. Well, I handed her a paycheck and say adios. And in came Natalie...she's a winner and a keeper.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Please don't ask this in my stores....

O.K., I thought I might just go for a while without a rant, but no, they just wouldn't let me. A woman was purchasing a couple of things and first had to go ask her husband permission (that's a rant I've had before)...and then she comes back in and she is 3 cents short. So she asks me if I will let it go. Thankfully before I could bitch slap the woman her husband meanders in and hands her the 3 cents. Now why does this piss me off? Well, here's your answer. We're working on short margins here so that 3 cents comes out of my pocket. I don't care if it's $1000 or .03 cents..it's all the same to me. I can't go to IRS and say, "I'm a little short, is that O.K." I'm just certain they'd let it go and say "Sure Sally, we understand shortages..." And I'm pretty sure I couldn't ask my suppliers to forgive .03...hell they dunn me for 5 cents...and that's o.k., because if I owe it I mean to pay it. If everyone that came into the store and purchased something asked me to forgive 3 cents...that would add up to hundreds by the end of the summer, o.k. maybe just a couple hundred, but would you mind losing $100...I think not...so when you come in and you don't have enough money, ask me to hold it while you go back and get more money or to hold it until the next time you are coming in. I really prefer that. It's not like I'm in a good mood anyway, I've been in Trollbead hell for 2 days. The rep who was suppose to be here between 11 & noon yesterday finally showed up at 4:00 p.m....can't tell you how thrilled I was with that. And then every bead had to be taken out of it's little zip bag and the trays had to be assembled and stickered and the beads then put into the proper tray (she should have told me the beads were bagged in order...) and anyway, it took us 3 hours to do all that and then she zips through her little demonstration and after assembling necklaces, bracelets and 2 tiers of the display I said, "Excuse me, but how am I suppose to know which beads you have put on the display and jewelry?" And that idiot, who by the way spent the entire evening calling me Mary, even though I told her my name was Sally, just looked at me and said, "oh, then perhaps you should be assembling the tiers," and off she went into whatever fantasy land she came from. So here I was with all this and confused to say the least. Knowing the girls in the shop couldn't handle this without cue cards, today I've spent the day cutting pictures of the beads out of the brochures and making cheat sheets for everyone. I'm exhausted, but on the plus side, my pasting and cutting have greatly improved. What I love about having these beads is that I plan to use some on my scissor fobs...they are so gorgeous. Of course Renee had to burst my bubble by saying, "That would be a rather expensive scissor fob!" But I don't care when I make fobs, expensive is never an issue, which is why I used a troll bead on hers...I'm thinking she's not remembering her bead. Anyway, I'm almost done with the display, O.K., almost might be stretching the truth, I have one side done....so 2 more days and I'll be ready, and the rep is threatening to return. God Help Me.

Monday, July 14, 2008

On, God...it's hot, muggy and we're short of help!!HELP!!

Well, day 2 and we're stll in crisis mode, only to the higher power since our morning desk help is off today, plus one housekeeper down, and apparently 2 or 3 more off which means we've had to send in backup today...Sara and Michael, yes, my 7 year old grandson who sees this as an opportunity to pick up some cash, which is his primary motive anymore to do anything is going into battle. Anyway, he loves to dust and run a vacumm, so we sent him in (I'll throw anyone under the cleaning bus rather than go there myself...it's everyman for himself at this point). Anyway, running this old hotel is becoming less and less attractive to all of us, however, when we have practically the entire winter off...well, then it looks more attractive. But right now no one's having any fun! Well, it's been almost 1/2 hour and Michael has returned...so I suppose his thrill to vacumm and dust are over, bless his heart..he tried. I'm at the front desk having to deal with lovely tenants and then I had one royal pain in the ass, who apparently can't read his bill so he kept arguing with me, and instead of taking the time to explain it to him so he wouldn't have to actually read, I decided since he'd been a pain in the ass from day 1 to just keep saying the same thing right back at him. However, as people were piling up at the desk, I finally had to give in and read to him like he's 6. Apparently he doesn't get to hotels too often or he really can't read...but I choose to think he's a total asshole...and I'm pretty sure I'm right. And if things weren't bad enough, we ran out of bag of ice to sell the people with coolers...so now they stand there looking at me like I'm the only source of ice in town, outraged that I should run out. Frankly, I'm between I don't give and crap and get the hell away from me so you can imagine the response they are getting from me. Actually, this year Thrashers (right in our building) is also selling bags of ice so I sent one man to them and you would have thought I sent him to the end of the boardwalk. He kept looking at me like I was going to pull a bag out of my butt for him as I kept repeating Thrashers also has bags to sell. I finally said, "Sir, it's the end 'shop' right here on the property...it's about 100 feet...really you can make it. Even I could make it." I know you will be thrilled, as I was, to know he make the trek, all 100 feet, without a guide and somehow managed to haul the ice bag back to his cooler. He probably has to have a nap now.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

The Day from Hell!!!

That's what today is for us...when I arrived at work today, there was poor Sara running her legs off with the continental breakfast (It's hard to believe we thought this was a good idea)...trying to keep the muffin tray filled, coffee made, juices filled, and I breeze by her and notice a sign on the door regarding one of our primary housekeepers...the housekeeper who can't get along with the foreign students so we made her take the entire building on herself (well, we never made anyone do anything...we gave her a choice to move from her building to the main building and take fewer units and she didn't want to)...anyway, apparently she called in because she had sprained a finger or some such thing which means a building with 9 units and a couple of them huge...has no housekeeper coming in. So, of course Poor ole Sara has gone over to do the housekeeping followed by Mary and I think Vernon has trudged over as well. The heat and humidity are going to take their toll today....it's going to be a regular "sweatfest". What is my part in this you ask...I'm taking on the idiot at the front desk.....yes that will be my challenge for the day...I have to work with her and of course tonight I work with the other idiot. Yes, I have a fun day to look forward to...but we must all do our part. I just wish the tenants would try to do theirs. While we have some wonderful families here with us this week...which makes it a little easier...we also have some of them showing up at 7:30 a.m. for their apartments and as usual checking about ever 20 minutes to see if they are ready. No matter how many times we say, "we're running behind...they won't be ready until 3:00 p.m." it just doesn't seem to matter. They just keep on rolling up to the desk to "just checking to see if it's ready yet?" Honestly, today is not the day people to "just check to see if it's ready." I've got a stun gun and frankly I'm in the mood to use it and I'm not certain if I care if it's an employee or a tenant. Well, Vernon came over at 12:15 to renegotiate his contract (he says he never signed up to clean a toilet)...and Sara and Mary were right behind him. They cleaned the empty units and were lucky because when they showed up to do a remake, and the old tenant saw who was doing it told them they really didn't need housekeeping today so that meant one less apartment. But they were done at 12:17, much faster than usual, but to give ourselves a treat Vernon made frozen drinks, we got Thrashers french fries and Alaska Stand sandwiches...yes, it's a good day after all. Just got back from the shop where I had a nice chat with a customer who has become a friend, and as she was leaving town today I asked her how her vacation went. She was on vacation with her family, and their families. She hesitated and said it was alright....which is a red flag for the vacation with problems. I cannot tell you how many times I see this...there is always someone in a group who, while not meaning to perhaps, dampens the vacation for everyone. I don't mean they ruin it, although many times they do, but they have everyone walking on egg shells around them which means no one else can relax, and that's what happened here. Now, I have to say, been there and done that...and having done that I don't do it anymore. When I took everyone to Disneyworld...I got my own room and they stayed out of it. I also said no one had to go with me I could do my own thing, so Mary and her family took me at my word and basically only saw me on the first day and the day we all left...(I do think Mary and C.J. spent 2 days in the park with us)...Sara however, hung in with me every day. I try not to be intrusive, however, I am sure that on some nights Sara was ready to blow from my interaction with Michael, since I do buy him just about anything he wants (sometimes it's just easier than listening to him whine...I will change my mind on this when he's 16 and asking for a Hummer). We have another family staying here who use to come with his parents. However, as the children got older the 4 children wanted to stay on the beach longer in the afternoon, while the grandparents wanted to eat at 5:30 p.m. (as you get older your dinner time seems to get earlier)...and they had a set routine which made it not so nice for the family with the children. Finally the mother of the children said, "No more...we're staying on the beach until the kids want to come in, we're eating when we want to and not at 5:30, and we're doing what the kids want to do as opposed to sitting on the porch every night watching the boardwalk." Their 2 weeks here has now become 1 and they no longer speak with the grandparents who apparently took the news very hard. And...they are all in counseling...all that stems from each group having different expectations from their vacation and no one getting what they wanted. What I'm trying to say folks is...don't take your relatives with you. If they want to come at the same time, fine, but get them their own place and make sure everyone knows up front that no one gets to become the dictator. It's a vacation which means the rules are loose and everyone gets to have fun! WEATHER REPORT: hot and sticky, humid and yucky! Sun is shining but it's way too bright for me to look at the ocean, which I couldn't see anyway because there is a surfing contest today and they have their bleachers up among other things obscuring my view. (and that's O.K. because we love our surfer dudes). Well, the night is over without too many problems...and then I get over here to the office and Sara informs me we have another housekeeper (regular) who needs tomorrow off to go to the doctors...oh, Lord, Sara is back to housekeeping...hang on people tomorrow is going to be a bumpy ride. See you then!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Life can be a crap sandwich and each day is a new bite!

I arrived for work yesterday and sat down at the computer, noticed a key looked a little crooked and when I touched it it popped off, now I am missing 2 keys...no with that another popped off (what the hell is happening here?)...so now I'm trying to type with no left shift key, no 't' and no 'g'...if you want to know what a pain in the ass is, try that. I finally got the brilliant idea to plug a keyboard in to my laptop, but we're still waiting on the keyboard....Vernon's job. I may just have to handle this myself. As if things weren't bad enough, when Sara did the schedules on Saturday she didn't have enough people for night so she and I were scheduled for Salty Yarns and Sea Trader which usually means I'm scheduled for both and once she gets Michael asleep which could be anywhere between 8:30 and 9:30 she'd help. But these shops are too busy for me alone so last night she and Michael helped. I have to tell you, he actually worked really well last night, getting up on ladders to get merchandise down and back to replace stuff. He really was an enormous help, as was Sara. We had 3 people who needed to learn punchneedle and one needed to learn counted cross stitch. When they asked me, I just did what I normally do when I don't want to do something, I called Sara over and asked her to demonstrate since she is the expert. And she always does. She's really good at it so I wasn't lying. I tend to confuse the issue rather than help. In the midst of total confusion Sara asked Michael to send "Aunt Susie" over to Sea Trader. I panic thinking my sister has shown up unannounced (oh, my God, my house is a wreck...well not a wreck but I haven't dusted in months...you know my theory and I hadn't picked up the multitude of bags I just dropped on the floor)...anyway, oh, my God...Vernon just brought in my new keyboard and I'm back to typing like a normal person....Alleluia....praise the Lord...O.K., back to the story...anyway, I'm looking all over the shop for my sister and when I can't find her I look back over and there is Sara looking over and giving me the eyeball. (her way of saying something is up)...so I go over wondering what the hell I'm getting myself into and she starts whispering something about a salesperson for Troll beads needing to talk to the owner, Aunt Susie. That's Sara's way of not sic..ing salespeople on me exactly...I can talk to them and then tell them I have to talk to the owner..Aunt Susie... before a decision can be made. I, on the other hand, usually don't want to talk to salespeople and if I do I make the instant decision....I don't even like to hear their speal. Anyway...troll beads, for those who haven't heard of them, are like Pandora beads, somewhat, except every bead they make has a story behind it or a meaning. Anyway, Lauren Sauer had a troll bead bracelet on when she was here and we were fascinated by it. I already told you after that weekend I went and ordered troll beads thinking they would fit the Pandora bracelet (they do not)...but loved them enough to keep them and I used one on Renee's scissor fob in the finishing work. They have a unique set of beads for the ocean. So..the woman starts her spiel, I stop her and asked how much are we talking about here and while the investment is not cheap by any means...remember I'm getting out of Vera Bradley and nothing could be that expensive...final statement...as of next week I'm going to be the Troll Bead retailer in Ocean City. Sara was so excited but I knew that meant Sara wanted a bracelet...but I'm somewhat excited as well because they do have beautiful beads and I love their beads on my scissor fobs....and I'm sure I'll have a bracelet as well. After she left with the confusion that surrounded her, I closed, exhausted and thrilled the store was kept open inspite of the lack of help. I have to tell you, Ocean City is realitivly quiet this week. A woman was in the shop on her cell phone calling someone and was telling them how no one is down here. O.K., we're not packed, but we aren't empty either. But usually at this time of year we are packed....weekly rentals are here, it's the 2 night, 3 night people that aren't using the gas. It will be interesting to see how this all works out at the end of the season. I'm planning on being here though...God willing. Well, now that my keyboard situation is taken care of, I'm going to update the web site. Have a great day, and keep those needles moving.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Thank God the Weekends over!

Yes, I said it and I mean it. Forget about the noise, etc., the anxiety of filling the hotel in one fell swoop you just know things are going to go south quickly and they did. I've reported on our staff so many times you already know we have too many Ukraine students working for us this summer, and one Irish student. Now you would think the Irish student would be a breath of fresh air as she speaks English...well I have to tell you if brains were dynamite, she wouldn't have enough to blow herself up. Today Sara and Mary realized she was putting the wrong amount in the computer when people paid...thank God they paid by check so when Sara saw a $1,000 amount that shouldn't have been there we were able to track it back...it was suppose to be $104.00. She also typed in things like the cents wrong...for instance if it was $194.73 she'd type in $194.49. I mean it didn't make sense...she wasn't even transposing numbers...God only knows what the hell she was doing. We can't leave her alone for 5 minutes for fear of what she'll screw up and then I'm not too sure she gives a damn anyway. It's enough to make me long for the Ukraine students...to tell the truth the best students we ever had were Polish...everyone of them. Tell all the Polish jokes you want, but if you want a hard worker who goes the extra mile...hire the Polish. Anyway, last night we had a tenant come over from the lodge reporting that the a/c had fallen out of the window. Sara and I just looked at each other like "what the #%$@ " is she talking about. Sara was pissed off because she really doesn't like the woman and the apartment she was talking about wasn't hers so Sara was wondering what the hell she was in the other apartment fooling with the a/c for in the first place. Let me preface this will saying..these things always happen after Vernon's gone to lay down for awhile and Mary has gone home, so it's Sara and I (which we all know means Sara alone). Anyway, she heads off for the lodge while I go to the laundry room to help down there as the boys were loaded down with sheets and towels to do. This was our first major weekend of the year and it took our foreign staff by surprise, even though we had warned them that we usually houseclean for more than 1 or 2 hrs in the summertime. They were busy from 9:00 - 3:45 p.m and a few of them then went to work their 2nd job, but they were none to happy about that I can tell you. Anyway, when Sara returns to the laundry room she is just shaking her head. The woman was reporting the problem but she had nothing to do with it and it wasn't even on her floor. She happened to see it fly out of the window and fall 2 stories. The idiot who is a member of the staff no less, went into the room where his friend was staying, found the a/c not working and thought he would just change it himself. Now, while I somewhat blamed Vernon for not screwing the a/c in, Vernon reminded me that if he had and the young man had unscrewed it, the result would be no different, because he wouldn't have thought to hold on to the a/c. We were fortunate that Carla (our neighbor) was not in residence with her big old car sitting under the a/c, and we were thanking God no one walking down the side of the lodge. We no sooner got rid of that problem when another group called regarding lack of hot water. So Sara went over to the boiler room and found one of the hot water heaters had a low flame. She couldn't get it to go higher so we called my next door neighbor who bless his heart put his steaks on the grill on hold and rushed down. After fooling with the hot water heater he got everything back in the grove and hot water was spilling forth once more. For the remainder of evening we folded sheets and towels until I was begging to go back to work in Salty Yarns. No matter how tired I get in here it still beats the Laundry Room. But I have to tell you as noisy as the 4th was, last night was so unbelievable quiet I thought it was September. Plus with the somewhat moist weather it was cool and with the fan blowing on me it was heaven...shear heaven. Today it's been a strange day of overcast, drizzle at times, and just not a great beach day...even though the sun tried to come out at times. Of course the weekend was so exhausting I spent my day dozing at my desk inbetween scanning and adding to the web site, but honestly that is such a snoozer I kept falling asleep. These 10 minutes naps aren't that refreshing however, hopefully I'll get more sleep tonight. Oh, I have to tell you a funny thing that happened. Vernon came over from the house the other day and a bike minus it's front wheel was sitting unattended, nor was it chained to the post, outside the side entrance. So Vernon, for fear it would get stolen, pulled the bike into a storage room and left word at the desk that whomever left the bike could get it from Vernon whenever he wanted it. Each night Vernon asked if anyone had mentioned the bike. It was a new mountain bike no less. With the wheel gone we just knew the people were tenants who left the bike thinking with one wheel missing no one would take it (and they were wrong about that), but after a couple of days someone brought the wheel and left it by the same post...and never claimed the bike. Can you imagine. I can't, people come to the desk all the time for lost cameras, wallets, purses, etc., that they left somewhere on the property. We all got quite a chuckle out of the wheel returning, but we are still left wondering whose bike it is. Heads up for those coming to Ocean City...don't leave your things loose on your porch or anywhere. Whether someone wants it for their own use or just will take it because it's there...the chances are your stuff will be taken. So take it inside. We're no different in the summer than Baltimore City, and you wouldn't leave your stuff out there overnight...now in the winter...that's a different story. While it's not the same as when we use to leave doors unlocked and cars unlocked, we can still leave things out without fear of them missing the next day.

Thank God the weekend is over!

Thank God the weekend is over!

Saturday, July 5, 2008

4th of July was my personal nightmare!!!!!

Holidays and weekends are always a nightmare down here...you get a lot of people in town looking for free parking on any one's lot they can get on, and you also get a certain type of people in town that are just objectionable. For instance...Sara and I are on parking lot duty on weekends and holidays...which means we sit there and guard, yes I said guard, our parking lot for hours. It's hot and boring, although we often get a laugh or two, but more than likely we spend the entire time arguing with people over their right to park on our lot. And with the fireworks last night, well everyone and their brother wanted to park by the boardwalk and watch them. Vernon was itching to tow and I was protecting the lot so we wouldn't have to. I won, but it is hot and exhausting. They did ply me with a frozen drink, which was great, however, since I'm not a real drinker just the one drink made me high, so now I'm hot, sweaty, drunk and a danger to myself. Poor Sara was pulled sixteen different ways, by the shop people, hotel problems and by me, but she left me for a few moments and I noticed that the line of cars in the alley is stopped waiting for something and all of a sudden doors to a car open, two women jump out and run under the line closing off the parking area behind one of our buildings. I really thought they were looking for the walk way through to the boardwalk, but after a couple of seconds I got up to check and didn't see them so I walked over behind the building and there they were squatting in the parking lot, in broad daylight, peeing. Yes that's what I said, they had their pants around their ankles and letting it fly. In daylight, in front of people sitting on their porches. These women were Spanish speaking so believe me they didn't understand the curse words coming out of my mouth and thought by patting their stomach and telling me they couldn't hold it that I would understand their peeing not only on the parking lot, but one of them backed up to the back door of the apartment that was rented and peed all over the mat at the back door and the stoop. Now how would you like to put up with that crap every weekend. It's really enough to make you lose your religion and it definitely makes you lose your tolerance for other nationalities, well one in particular since that is the group that is always doing this type of thing, with the except of high school seniors. But these were adults who thought it was alright. There is a public bathroom about 100 feet away and they choose outside on my property. Which meant of course that Sara and I, ( and when I say Sara and I, that means Sara) had to wash down the sidewalk, backdoor, met, etc., with bleach. Thank God it poured rain which should have quieted things down, but no...my idiot neighbor waits until I get home and then he lets off firecrackers for about 1/2 hour. I live through that only to have a group of Spanish Speaking people sitting on milk crates beside their car parked on the road beside my neighbor's apartment building drinking and letting off fire crackers every hour on the hour until about 6:00 a.m. when they finally found a parking space. They stayed up all night waiting for a car to move off the street so they could park. Why the hell do they come down here if they don't have a place to stay...and that's another thing. If they do decide to rent, this same group of Spanish speaking people, send one person to the front desk, say there are 4 of them, when there are 5 more sitting in the alley waiting to go in the room. 7-9 people in a room with 2 double beds..now really, if you can't go on a trip and have your own bed stay the hell home. Hotels are not camp grounds. There are fire regulations you know! Anyway, due to past experience with certain groups we just don't rent to them in the first darn place. I once did and I rented an apartment to 5 and when the guys in the parking lot counted heads there were like 16 of them. Needless to say I kicked their ass out and gave them back their money. But it infuriates me to even have to deal with this kind of thing. Thank God, our families are really wonderful, and while we get a few who tweak our last nerve, generally speaking they follow the rules and are prize tenants. Obviously, money doesn't matter a great deal to me I'd rather do without than rent to these fools. And what it does is taint an entire nationality. I know that all Spanish speaking people aren't like this, and I want the ones who understand we don't just pull up to someones property to pee, explain to those who do such a thing that it isn't proper in this country. That's all I'm asking. I'll explain to Americans what they do wrong, you take care of your fellow countrymen. Because believe me, dealing with the foreign students in the shop is all the foreign relationships I want to have to deal with. As it is, I really need to have an interpreter on staff. Anyway, I lived through another 4th of July and should get some sort of medal. I could have used the stun gun numerous times, but Vernon feels it is best if I'm not informed as to the whereabouts of the stun gun...but you can bet before the end of the summer I'm going to have a 'come to Jesus' meeting with someone and the stun gun is going to play a part. Perhaps it will be the next person who decides it's o.k. to pull down their pants in public and urinate. Yes I think that's the one I'm going for...stay tuned folks.