Misbehaving children.

I’m sitting along my desk, discreetly polishing my nails. Stan and Kew the houseman are using my computer to look up something about a Naked Cowboy (No, I didn’t bother asking). Marie is sedately solitairing it at the Front Desk. It is peaceful. It is calm. It is quiet... You can hear individual footsteps. Wait a minute- those footsteps are running. Towards the Front Desk.

We all stop what we’re doing and turn towards the sound, craning our necks to see down the corridor. Those footsteps are *frantically* running. And they’re getting closer. We all share a questioning look when all of a sudden our Director of Sales comes bursting into the lobby.

Hands on his knees, doubled over, and red faced, he presents a comical picture... short of stature and slight roundish- He’s our 3rd in command and presently in charge as the hotel’s owner- Mr. Noble, is on vacation til Monday and the AGM is currently AWOL.

Me: Randy? What *the hell* are you doing? You’re going to give yourself a heart attack.
R: *gasping to catch his breath* Nnnn-
S: Hey man, let me get you some water- you don’t look too good…
R: Nnnno time- NOBLE!
Me: What? He’s not coming in til Monday- remember?
R: *still gasping* Passed him... on freeway... coming this way... had to drive REALLY fast...

Cranky guests. No hot water in C building.
Overbookings. Stay-overs. Papercuts.
Managers coming back from vacations unexceptedly.
NO FEAR: THE NORMANDY

(We all sort of freeze for a moment- seemingly in shock. Tense seconds pass and then we all spring into action)

AHHH! Stan runs downstairs to the boiler to turn the heat back down in all the employee areas while Marie starts throwing out all the coffee we stole from the restaurant- which is presently sitting in the sales office. Kew scrambles to rip down all our inappropriate New Years decorations as I make the mad dash to the back door. Noble had this pet project- he ordered like 10 billion poinsettias to place around the hotel. He gave their upkeep to me while he was away. I’m praying the lack of poinsettia is less noticeable than dead poinsettias everywhere...

We somehow all manage to do what we’re supposed to do and get back to where we were supposed to be by the time he arrives. Well wishing ensues. He accepts and leaves and we all breathe a sigh of relief. For our Secret Santa this year, he gave us all $60 Cub Foods gift cards. After the party, he promptly fired one of the new houseman- presumably (to us) to offset the cost of our gifts. We’re all walking on eggshells these days around him.

I thought- now would probably be a good time to organize the concierge desk and look fabulously busy and important. Naw... I think I’ll blog about it instead...

Noble nods approvingly as he walks by and sees me typing like mad. I love being me.

;)