The height of laziness?

As I answer the telephone the caller asks  " Are you located at 3 Crowne Plaza?"

"No" we are located at .....

" Can you tell me the rate please?"

" I can tell you the rate for our hotel, yes"

" No, I want the rate the hotel at 3 Crowne Plaza, I am sitting in their car park, so why would I want your rates?!"

"Well, Get out of your car and go in and ask them you lazy bitch" is NOT what I said...

" Maybe if you call the 800 number they will be able to help you " IS what I said.

This prompted me to think about just how lazy we are becoming.

We can drive through to get our food and coffee, drop off and pick up prescriptions, even deposit at the bank.

Now you want Drive through Hotels!

I have to admit I very rarely use a drive through. Whilst I am physically able, why not walk?!

If nothing else my heart will stay healthy.

A Day off with the Chiropractor

As you are aware it is my day off...

Sods law prevails and I am still suffering with a cold and really have no energy for what I wanted to do, that my friends was tackling my Christmas Shopping.

However, my first stop was the Chiropractor my favourite place in the world. Well 2nd after my bed!

When I arrived at 10am my concerned Chiro asked me if I was going to be all right face down with my head cold. Of course I was going to be alright, I could not miss my adjustment for a mere cold.

" Grab a handful of tissues and get your head down there" was what he said.

OMG I must be been ill...

I simply grabbed the tissues and giggled inside as he left the room.

I had missed my chance of completely embarrassing him!

I wanted to say so many things... but the moment had gone when witty remarks came flooding into my head,  I am little slow today!

3 day week and its only Tuesday!

My work week started on Sunday this week. I covered the Sunday shift so that R could go to the city and see a show... in return I get Wednesday off.

This sounded great when she called me Thursday to ask me of this favour.  I planned to do my Christmas shopping on my new day off to avoid the crazy weekend shoppers.

Sunday came and I had a cold, I went to work at 6.45am and snuffled through my day. It made a nice change to see the weekend folk, they are somewhat different to the weekly guests. They arrive later for breakfast and are on slow mode! It was a nice change.

It was Harry Potter day on one of the TV channels so I watched that all day and got out my knitting.

The perfect day some would say.

Monday came and I felt worse, my nose is dripping constantly and I had a thick head.

Today came and  I didn't think it possible to feel any worse than I did yesterday.. but guess what I do and to top it all off my body thinks its Wednesday because I have been to work for 3 days.

I am discombobulated, my head is hurting, my nose is running and its not Wednesday and I CANNOT call out sick.

I drag my sorry self to work... and I feel so bad for anyone who has had to come into contact with me today. I felt extremely sorry for the guests in 164 and 166 who arrived to check in at the same time, right when my body wanted to sneeze a million times and I could not stop. Tissues everywhere, I was so embarrassed and I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me in.

This is when I was reminded about my inevitable death by Neti Pot,  right now that seemed a better place to be.

Last night a friend of mine foretold the tale of how I suffered a terrible death in my very own bathroom by drowning in saline solution from my Neti Pot. It was told very well... and for this laugh I am truly grateful, but not at that moment.  After my sneezing fit was over, I laughed, coughed, choked and apologized for even being there.

They both wished me well and hoped I would feel better soon. I informed them it would be safe to visit the Front Desk as I would not be in tomorrow!

December has arrived... Happy Hanukkah

December 1st... Christmas tree is up and still standing !

I decorated it yesterday and went to bed praying that it was all still in place when I got to work this morning. Visions of balls all over the breakfast room filled my head as I went to bed. I did not secure a lot of the ornaments, just placed them gently to enable those who wish to move things an easy time without disturbing the entire tree.

The 9ft tree still stands.... the reindeer however have been drinking are have taken a tumble amongst the cabbages.

The weather was very bad today... it was dark and windy with heavy rain. B was on Thunderstorm watch, she loves a good storm. I was talking to E about cancelling next weeks milk delivery and B piped up "What the Thunderstorm is cancelled?" Oh if only I had that kind of power!

Barb is our resident Meteorologist, she keeps us well informed when bad weather is on the way! I must remember where I put my "How to survive a Hurricane" paper she gave me.

J left for the day, as she departed asked if I had an umbrella. Any good English Lady should carry one I know, but I do not. We did however manage to find one... It belonged to Victor, but if J got to her car she could drive by the door and I could grab it through the window return it to Victor and off she could go. This sounded great... until B pointed out she would blow away. Yes, attempt Number One... Unsuccessful. Umbrella turned inside out and J blew through the Carport. Attempt Number Two was to wear bin bag on head to prevent the wind and rain messing up her hair. After putting an air hole for safety purposes (we didn't want her suffocating), she started out the door. Alas, attempt number Two failed as the wind blew that bag off her head! She made a mad dash for her car as me and B stood in the foyer giggling like a pair 10 year olds!

We have an array of guests with us ranging from long tern residents, business travelers, to people hiding from family, people laying to rest  loved ones and others homeless due to fires. This really brings home to me that my troubles are pretty insignificant.

Today sees the first day of Hanukkah so I plugged in the Menorah.


Happy Hanukkah...

Goodbye November....

I am guessing that just like me, you are all thankful for something. Just like most of us, as Christmas approaches one of those things is my job and bi-weekly pay check!

The hotel has been filled with guests visiting family for the holidays and also business travelers.

Today, we have 5 Norwegian guests. They were quiet whilst hanging around waiting for each other to arrive at the lobby  before they set off for their business meeting. Almost immediately I noticed that the 50 something male group leader still had the sticky clear adhesive foot long sticker stuck to the back of his new jeans. I couldn't quite make out the size, sorry!

I tried to discreetly inform the guest of his Jeans addition... The phone rang and I had to nab that,  he dashed outside to start his engine in order to defrost his windscreen. Basically I never got to tell him... and I don't think any of the people he was with told him either. I wonder how much of the day went by before someone did?

So just a few days after Thanksgiving... Christmas has arrived in a body bag !

Yes Mr Bill and Victor came down with a body bag... and out of the big body bag came the very enormous tree.

Miss B was busy Fluffing it up... yes you read correctly. She was "FLUFFING"

I felt that I should help, no girl should have to fluff alone.

I am sure tomorrow when I get in that the next step of decorating will need to be done. I am hoping that it has been completed... I am not sure I am up for such a task!

I am a Front Desk Clerk...

I have advanced degrees in accounting, public relations, marketing, computer science, civil engineering and Swahili. I can also Read Minds.

Of course, I have a reservation that you booked six years ago, even though you don't have a confirmation number and you think it was under the name that starts with the letter X. It is not a problem for me to give you seven connecting, nonsmoking, pool side suites with two king beds each, four Rollaways and YES, I can install a wet bar. I know it is my fault that we do not have a helicopter landing pad.

I am a front desk clerk. I am expected to speak all languages. It is obvious to me that when you booked your reservation for Friday, you really meant Saturday. My company has entrusted me with all financial information and decisions and Yes, I can tell you why your bill from March 1989 contained a 50 cent phone charge because you obviously never pay for phone charges.

I understand that Mr. McGullicutty's Widget Manufacturing is a vast empire that will make or break our Hotel. Yes, I am lying to you when I tell you we have no rooms available. It is not a problem for me to quickly construct several more guest rooms. This time I will not forget the heli-pad. It is my fault that everyone wants to stay here. I should have known you were coming in even though you have no reservation.

I am a front desk clerk: an operator, bell hop, breakfast hostess, houseman, guest services rep, housekeeper, sales coordinator, information, a map, entertainment critic, restaurateur, stock broker, computer technician, ice breaker, postman, dispatcher, laundry attendant, fax expert and verbal punching bag. I also know why room 239 isn't answering their telephone.

I always know where to find the best Vegetarian, Kosher, Mongolian Barbeque Restaurants. I know exactly what to see and do in this town without spending any money.I take personal blame for the airline food (or lack thereof), traffic jams, rental car flat tires, and the national economy. I realize that you meant to book your reservations here. People often confuse us with "Melody Delight Motel". Of course, I can fit you in and yes, I understand you are entitled to a special fifty cent discount because you are affiliated with the Hoboken Accounting Club.

I am expected to smile, sympathize, console, up sell, down sell (and know when to do which), perform, sing, dance, fix the printer and I know exactly where Pottsman Trott Lane is.

I am a Front Desk Clerk.

I do all of these things...

.... and I still have to try and look busy when the Management is around.

Its Been a while....

Summer past in the blink of an eye. I cannot believe how quickly it went.

It was a tough Summer for me being the first one I have worked in 15 years, but boy was it interesting!

Not too many funny stories for you as I was so busy with just day to day hotel life. People vacationing are completely different to the people we have staying during the OFF season.

The vacationers and a little more demanding and always later for breakfast.

We do have our residents that are still with us Rm # 159. I am not sure what the story is as it just is simply too unbelievable now, and I really do not wish to know what they are doing to pay for the room as it can only be bad.

We have a new regular guest Mr C, nice chap not sure why he ended up staying with us on and off for the past 4 weeks, but he is pleasant, causes no bother and is the last to breakfast at 9.35am!

We did install a lot of Flat Screen TV's since my last blog... this went smoothly and now our King section and rooms with 2 Queen beds have this nice upgrade.

Last week Panasonic delivered the 36 extra remotes that Mr PP ordered. These 36 Remotes arrived in 36 boxes..... Why I have no idea but they charged us $189.00 Delivery!

As you can imagine Mr.PP was outraged by the delivery charged he was slapped with whilst B and myself worried about the amount of trees killed to make the 35 extra boxes!

B and I Joined a local Gym... L too.

We have been very good and try to go every day. As a Weight Watcher you would think that this would be helping me... alas NO. I am watching the scales go up and not down and my body ache more and more.

Sunday at 9.30 I arrived at the gym for Body Pump... B surely was going to show up. NO! As I peeked in the studio, thinking to myself "this is when you turn and get on the Elliptical" another lady forced me in with her smile saying she would help me set up... It was the set up that scared me!

One Bar Bell with weights plus extras
One Step with 3 risers
One Mat
Two 5lb plus hand weights
Towel

I sucked it up and pumped the power for an hour, and after 30 mins of the instructor yelling at me to stick my backside out... I seemed to have good form!

Today I ache in places I should not be aching... My poor chest, triceps, Backs of the legs and my butt!

Well as we all know there is only on cure.... another session at the gym!

See you there B, don't let me down, I may get dragged in to some other Bad Ass Class!

BTW this would all be well and good if I was at my goal weight and was svelte like.