Ho hum, Friday night and I’m polishing off a bottle of wine with absolutely no plans to leave the house. Don’t judge, I signed up to work nonstop from tomorrow until I leave on my vacation in order to get the days off. I’m resting right now. Tonight the rum is conspicuously absent. Since I’m approaching 30, I decided it would be much more grown up to be a wino as opposed to a drunk.
Was I saying something?
Ah yes, the boredom. Isn’t it amazing that one can have a house full of books, DVDs, video-games, cat, etc and still they lament- ‘Ah! Woe! There is nothing to do!’
There’s nothing to do.
I try a little bit of this, I try a little bit of that. I debate rearranging the furniture. I decide to stalk some of my favorites on OKC for a little bit *WHEN* Oh-my-freakin’-god. Epiphany. I come across my all time favorite movie about love (well, top 3 at least;) How it had slipped my mind until I saw it in *TYPE* I have no idea but it also made me remember..! I have a little tiny TV and VCR specifically for watching those tapes that I refused to give up- favorite movies I angst-ily watched as a teenager! Heck YES. And sure enough, went I went hunting- there they were, buried under mountains of things that hadn’t been moved since I moved in:P
Who the hell remembers how to hook up a VCR?
"Amid the chaos of that day, when all I could hear was the thunder of gunshots, and all I could smell was the violence in the air, I look back and am amazed that my thoughts were so clear and true, that three words went through my mind endlessly, repeating themselves like a broken record..."
Friday, August 22, 2008
Braiiiins
I’ve had two non-employees bring me coffee today.
Where the hell were they EARLY this morning?
Perhaps if I had been properly caffeinated, I wouldn’t have brain damage right now.
You think I kid. I can tell. As always, my new phone confuses me with the strange noises it makes... in my sleep deprived haze, I kept thinking the alarm was someone *calling* me. My mad coordination in the morning is demonstrated perfectly when in trying to answer the alarmcall- I bashed myself in the forehead. Which woke me up anyways- so HEY :). Unfortunately for me it was dark and I had been tossing- turned about so when I got up it was the wrong side of the bed and I crashed full stumble into the cement wall. I manage to make it to the elevator alive- even remembered the phone which has become the bane of my morning existence. As the doors are closing, I drop it and quickly swoop down to retrieve it. Not as quick as the elevator door, however. WHOMP. Reverberations are felt all down my legs all the way to the hotel. So on top of the pillow-creased face and slightly crooked ponytail, I now have a lump the size of New Jersey above my eyebrow. So yeah, I’ll take your pity coffee;)
At least everyone’s been super friendly today- seriously. I’ve lost track of how many people came over to my desk to sit and chat about the city in a most conscientiously polite manner. Victor the pervert sits down and casually remarks ‘Hot pink, nice.’ If it was anyone but Victor I would be concerned as to how they knew what color underthings I was wearing. It takes me a minute to understand his spanglish, being all garbled with laughter as it is. Comprehension dawns when I glance down and notice I only buttoned half my shirt... and I did it wrong. Well I guess that explains that.
See- I can’t sleep these days. It is becoming a problem. I’ve tried 10 pillows, I’ve tried throwing them all on the floor. I’ve tried windows open, I’ve tried A/C on. I’ve wore myself out before hand running around my neighborhood. Hot baths, cocktails, different positions, clothing options, etc. Still- there’s me on OKC at 4am.
I don’t know how much longer this can go on. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions? Anyone? Anything??
:(
ZzzZzz
(hopefully)
Where the hell were they EARLY this morning?
Perhaps if I had been properly caffeinated, I wouldn’t have brain damage right now.
You think I kid. I can tell. As always, my new phone confuses me with the strange noises it makes... in my sleep deprived haze, I kept thinking the alarm was someone *calling* me. My mad coordination in the morning is demonstrated perfectly when in trying to answer the alarmcall- I bashed myself in the forehead. Which woke me up anyways- so HEY :). Unfortunately for me it was dark and I had been tossing- turned about so when I got up it was the wrong side of the bed and I crashed full stumble into the cement wall. I manage to make it to the elevator alive- even remembered the phone which has become the bane of my morning existence. As the doors are closing, I drop it and quickly swoop down to retrieve it. Not as quick as the elevator door, however. WHOMP. Reverberations are felt all down my legs all the way to the hotel. So on top of the pillow-creased face and slightly crooked ponytail, I now have a lump the size of New Jersey above my eyebrow. So yeah, I’ll take your pity coffee;)
At least everyone’s been super friendly today- seriously. I’ve lost track of how many people came over to my desk to sit and chat about the city in a most conscientiously polite manner. Victor the pervert sits down and casually remarks ‘Hot pink, nice.’ If it was anyone but Victor I would be concerned as to how they knew what color underthings I was wearing. It takes me a minute to understand his spanglish, being all garbled with laughter as it is. Comprehension dawns when I glance down and notice I only buttoned half my shirt... and I did it wrong. Well I guess that explains that.
See- I can’t sleep these days. It is becoming a problem. I’ve tried 10 pillows, I’ve tried throwing them all on the floor. I’ve tried windows open, I’ve tried A/C on. I’ve wore myself out before hand running around my neighborhood. Hot baths, cocktails, different positions, clothing options, etc. Still- there’s me on OKC at 4am.
I don’t know how much longer this can go on. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions? Anyone? Anything??
:(
ZzzZzz
(hopefully)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A big fat misuse of company time and resources
*or*
Hey! I remember this!!
Ah, journaling at home is much better than journaling at work because at home I can erm... make a sandwich, have a glass of wine, etc- creating an ideal writing environment. Or something. And I must say that my work performance has greatly improved with my attentions focused entirely on my job. Making the reservations... cal-cu-lating the commissions... concierging the city. My desk is fabulously organized, republican security is placated with my no-bombs assurances, and I've booked our repeat corporate customers for the next- I don't know, two years or so.
Yeah.
'And she's looking real pretty
just waiting for her clientele.
She works hard for the money *do do du DO*
so hard for it honey! *do do du DO*'
::grooves out the head bob at her desk::
Well then.
::draws shoulders up, Normandy smile plastered to face::
Can I help anyone with anything?
::feels rather than hears or sees a mischievous presence in the vicinity::
Oh no. *to myself* I'm accountable and dedicated these days... none of my old foolishness!
::Stan pops his head up in the window between my desk and the fireplace lobby::
‘Diablita! Psst. You HAVE to come with me- I have to show you something! You're never going to believ-‘
::sigh::
‘Stan, sweetie- I trying to be a responsible adult here. I can’t be running off to play these games anymore. I have to think of my obligation to this position- no one will ever take me seriously if I don’t...’
‘I’ll give you a handful of apple JollyRanchers!’
Well, hell. Who turns down JollyRanchers? And I mean... it’s only *one* harmless little look, right?
What I was being shown was a room that was just vacated by the owner of the hotel. A little background, if you will- Mr. N. is a republican, slightly uptight, silver-spoon fed Nordic dude whose only contact with those outside his social stratosphere are the motley crew I fondly refer to as my coworkers. He can often be found eyeing everything we do with distrust and casually mentioning his desire to install security cameras... pointed at *us*. Seriously, he acts like he signs our paychecks or something! (wahwaaaah;) He’s actually not a bad guy- once *you* understand that *he* simply cannot understand what it is to be working-class.
Anywho- to the suite. When we opened the door, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one here to witness this unbelievable... thing. Two housekeepers, a supervisor, one tech and one light maintenance guy, a houseman and a Kell now occupy this space. Ok hun, showtime- what have you got for us? Stan strolls over and flips the A/C cover open to reveal- what the hell is that!? Is that... is that a *blunt* hidden in there?
:O In Unison. Maybe *we* cannot understand what it’s like to be *him* either
And so it was. I just... I can’t... I just can’t wrap my HEAD around this idea so I won’t even try. I did post the standard smoking fee we charge since the hotel went NS last February though. *Something* had to be done! And don’t worry about me. I used my boss Randy’s code so his initials would show up instead of mine.
And as I left work an hour early (sister’s birthday- totally legitimate excuse! ...long drive to go see her in Duluth! Didn’t bothering mentioning her party was on Sunday. And it would have been 2 hours if I didn't have to finish my blog first;) I thought to myself- ‘self, perhaps today’s attempt to be a more respectable and responsible person didn’t entirely go as planned but don’t you think we learned a valuable lesso-‘
OH LOOKAT THAT KITTEN! CUTECUTE!!
Hey! I remember this!!
Ah, journaling at home is much better than journaling at work because at home I can erm... make a sandwich, have a glass of wine, etc- creating an ideal writing environment. Or something. And I must say that my work performance has greatly improved with my attentions focused entirely on my job. Making the reservations... cal-cu-lating the commissions... concierging the city. My desk is fabulously organized, republican security is placated with my no-bombs assurances, and I've booked our repeat corporate customers for the next- I don't know, two years or so.
Yeah.
'And she's looking real pretty
just waiting for her clientele.
She works hard for the money *do do du DO*
so hard for it honey! *do do du DO*'
::grooves out the head bob at her desk::
Well then.
::draws shoulders up, Normandy smile plastered to face::
Can I help anyone with anything?
::feels rather than hears or sees a mischievous presence in the vicinity::
Oh no. *to myself* I'm accountable and dedicated these days... none of my old foolishness!
::Stan pops his head up in the window between my desk and the fireplace lobby::
‘Diablita! Psst. You HAVE to come with me- I have to show you something! You're never going to believ-‘
::sigh::
‘Stan, sweetie- I trying to be a responsible adult here. I can’t be running off to play these games anymore. I have to think of my obligation to this position- no one will ever take me seriously if I don’t...’
‘I’ll give you a handful of apple JollyRanchers!’
Well, hell. Who turns down JollyRanchers? And I mean... it’s only *one* harmless little look, right?
What I was being shown was a room that was just vacated by the owner of the hotel. A little background, if you will- Mr. N. is a republican, slightly uptight, silver-spoon fed Nordic dude whose only contact with those outside his social stratosphere are the motley crew I fondly refer to as my coworkers. He can often be found eyeing everything we do with distrust and casually mentioning his desire to install security cameras... pointed at *us*. Seriously, he acts like he signs our paychecks or something! (wahwaaaah;) He’s actually not a bad guy- once *you* understand that *he* simply cannot understand what it is to be working-class.
Anywho- to the suite. When we opened the door, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one here to witness this unbelievable... thing. Two housekeepers, a supervisor, one tech and one light maintenance guy, a houseman and a Kell now occupy this space. Ok hun, showtime- what have you got for us? Stan strolls over and flips the A/C cover open to reveal- what the hell is that!? Is that... is that a *blunt* hidden in there?
:O In Unison. Maybe *we* cannot understand what it’s like to be *him* either
And so it was. I just... I can’t... I just can’t wrap my HEAD around this idea so I won’t even try. I did post the standard smoking fee we charge since the hotel went NS last February though. *Something* had to be done! And don’t worry about me. I used my boss Randy’s code so his initials would show up instead of mine.
And as I left work an hour early (sister’s birthday- totally legitimate excuse! ...long drive to go see her in Duluth! Didn’t bothering mentioning her party was on Sunday. And it would have been 2 hours if I didn't have to finish my blog first;) I thought to myself- ‘self, perhaps today’s attempt to be a more respectable and responsible person didn’t entirely go as planned but don’t you think we learned a valuable lesso-‘
OH LOOKAT THAT KITTEN! CUTECUTE!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I have the crazies- maybe
My life thus far has been like an enthusiastic (though perhaps not entirely original) story told with a hopeful energy that begs to be loved and makes the not-so-novel-ness of it slightly novel. The heroine of my story never seems to be aware of the moral until loooong after the fact and keeps screwing things up with a gleeful unawareness that may have been endearing in CH. 3 but in CH. 27, is starting to become bothersome. And on top of *that* it seems that halfway through the telling (or, living I guess), she sees something shiny and gets distracted.
Translation: My stories are starting to irritate even me- with their ‘Hey! I learned a beautiful lesson! Again! Yes, it was the same one I learned last week but here it is again! Stay tuned next week because I bet you’ll never guess what’s coming!’. Bletch. I may give up the blog all together.
Maybe I'm just pissy I got scolded for my last entry.
But I'm not feeling pissy, really... I'm feeling all stupid happy. Again. YAY rediscovered peoples, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness... yadda yadda yadda. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? ARG!
Do du DO... I guess I shouldn't have smoked all those drugs in high school.
How do you just learn... to just *be*?
Translation: My stories are starting to irritate even me- with their ‘Hey! I learned a beautiful lesson! Again! Yes, it was the same one I learned last week but here it is again! Stay tuned next week because I bet you’ll never guess what’s coming!’. Bletch. I may give up the blog all together.
Maybe I'm just pissy I got scolded for my last entry.
But I'm not feeling pissy, really... I'm feeling all stupid happy. Again. YAY rediscovered peoples, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness... yadda yadda yadda. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? ARG!
Do du DO... I guess I shouldn't have smoked all those drugs in high school.
How do you just learn... to just *be*?
Monday, August 4, 2008
My passport is too bright and shiny and new...
I’m poised on the precipice, a glint of steel resolve making my eyes sparkle with seriousness. In my left hand is the 100 page RNC rooming list- the one we had to sign out from the city of St. Paul and swear its contents to absolute secrecy. Hotel management is spread out in a semicircle surrounding me- their eyes follow the list’s every flip and flutter in the wind. In my right hand is a lighter.
Those eyes declare my absolute commitment and no one present tries to placate me with dulcet tones. Instead, with a defeatist air- a single question...
‘Your terms, Kell?’
‘It’s really quite simple gentlemen- give me what I want and you can have your list back safe and sound. Deny me and...’
The collective gasp that follows is magnificent as I strike the light and bring its flame precariously close, the threat of Republican obliteration in the air. Tension is palpable, every detail is highlighted- from the glint of sweat on the Director of Sales’ brow, tendrils of my hair dancing on the breeze- slow motion like, and the almost comical distress in the faces of 3 of my managers.
‘Sign the request form gentlemen... sign it and all of this can be ove-‘
Kell? KELL?!
Me: *bleary-eyed and slack mouthed* Uh, erm... Wassat?
Melissa from Sales: *appearing almost magically at the end of my desk, arms full of contracts and resumes* Sweetie? How’s that rooming list coming? You’re looking a little spacey right now... Everything ok? Did the AGM get back to you yet about your vacation?’
Me: *rubbing my eyes, letting the familiar environment come back into focus- pushing out pictures of me in a pleather jumpsuit* Um... kinda- he uh, laughed.
So I did a stupid thing (this probably will not surprise many of you). The excitement caused by getting my passport made me crazy. Crazy to travel, that is! So I bought a plane ticket, non-refundable of course. And there were several factors that made me purchase impulsively. Several. None of them are an excuse however. I booked a flight out of Minneapolis during the beginning weekend of the Republican National Convention. No wonder flights are so much cheaper that weekend. Oops.
I called the front desk manager the minute I realized my mistake. He wasn’t happy about it but promised to take my cause to the AGM. Today at work, after unsuccessfully setting up a meeting with him for most of the day, I managed to corner him in our restaurant. I stood there and took all of the reprimand for my irresponsibility with what I hoped was a proper chastised look on my face. And then! Then he just walked away... laughing. I followed him and he informed me we were done and he couldn’t be expected to make an exception for me- no one else could take time off, why did I think I was special?
But... but... Oh hell.
I knew he was right. I didn’t feel mad... I didn’t feel much of anything all day- I just sat there dazed, trying to think of someway to fix this situation (getting the mental most out of my black pleather outfit, nothing really helpful). Near the end of the shift, just as Stephanie was coming in to water the flowers- I started my usual shut down/close up routine at my desk. I had just locked the rooming list up when someone came round my back and dropped a couple of pages of paper over my shoulder. I look at the document sitting directly in front of me and I can’t quite believe my eyes. It says- Normandy waiver to get Kell out of the country! My eyes get bigger and bigger as I make my way down the list and see all of my coworkers names on it! I look up- still uncomprehendingly. Stan is at my back with a huge smile on his face- the rest of my coworkers are at the front desk looking pleased with themselves.
‘Wha..?’
‘Stephanie told us about your problem. We all decided you weren’t being malicious- just yourself as always and that’s why we love you.’
The AGM just sighed as he added his name to the now almost complete list. I really wanted to throw that ‘special’ comment back at him but I restrained myself. There’s only one name I need now. And that name happens to belong to the owner of the hotel- our GM.
I’m meeting with him tomorrow. Wish me luck- I think I’m going to need it.
Those eyes declare my absolute commitment and no one present tries to placate me with dulcet tones. Instead, with a defeatist air- a single question...
‘Your terms, Kell?’
‘It’s really quite simple gentlemen- give me what I want and you can have your list back safe and sound. Deny me and...’
The collective gasp that follows is magnificent as I strike the light and bring its flame precariously close, the threat of Republican obliteration in the air. Tension is palpable, every detail is highlighted- from the glint of sweat on the Director of Sales’ brow, tendrils of my hair dancing on the breeze- slow motion like, and the almost comical distress in the faces of 3 of my managers.
‘Sign the request form gentlemen... sign it and all of this can be ove-‘
Kell? KELL?!
Me: *bleary-eyed and slack mouthed* Uh, erm... Wassat?
Melissa from Sales: *appearing almost magically at the end of my desk, arms full of contracts and resumes* Sweetie? How’s that rooming list coming? You’re looking a little spacey right now... Everything ok? Did the AGM get back to you yet about your vacation?’
Me: *rubbing my eyes, letting the familiar environment come back into focus- pushing out pictures of me in a pleather jumpsuit* Um... kinda- he uh, laughed.
So I did a stupid thing (this probably will not surprise many of you). The excitement caused by getting my passport made me crazy. Crazy to travel, that is! So I bought a plane ticket, non-refundable of course. And there were several factors that made me purchase impulsively. Several. None of them are an excuse however. I booked a flight out of Minneapolis during the beginning weekend of the Republican National Convention. No wonder flights are so much cheaper that weekend. Oops.
I called the front desk manager the minute I realized my mistake. He wasn’t happy about it but promised to take my cause to the AGM. Today at work, after unsuccessfully setting up a meeting with him for most of the day, I managed to corner him in our restaurant. I stood there and took all of the reprimand for my irresponsibility with what I hoped was a proper chastised look on my face. And then! Then he just walked away... laughing. I followed him and he informed me we were done and he couldn’t be expected to make an exception for me- no one else could take time off, why did I think I was special?
But... but... Oh hell.
I knew he was right. I didn’t feel mad... I didn’t feel much of anything all day- I just sat there dazed, trying to think of someway to fix this situation (getting the mental most out of my black pleather outfit, nothing really helpful). Near the end of the shift, just as Stephanie was coming in to water the flowers- I started my usual shut down/close up routine at my desk. I had just locked the rooming list up when someone came round my back and dropped a couple of pages of paper over my shoulder. I look at the document sitting directly in front of me and I can’t quite believe my eyes. It says- Normandy waiver to get Kell out of the country! My eyes get bigger and bigger as I make my way down the list and see all of my coworkers names on it! I look up- still uncomprehendingly. Stan is at my back with a huge smile on his face- the rest of my coworkers are at the front desk looking pleased with themselves.
‘Wha..?’
‘Stephanie told us about your problem. We all decided you weren’t being malicious- just yourself as always and that’s why we love you.’
The AGM just sighed as he added his name to the now almost complete list. I really wanted to throw that ‘special’ comment back at him but I restrained myself. There’s only one name I need now. And that name happens to belong to the owner of the hotel- our GM.
I’m meeting with him tomorrow. Wish me luck- I think I’m going to need it.
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