Favourite Books

  • The Green Mile
  • Animal Farm
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Lord of the Rings
  • To Kill a Mockingbird

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Early to Bed and Early to Rise

 Makes a Man healthy, wealthy and wise (Hah!)
  HOLA..3 days off for the Christmas holidays, and it appears they are the fastest days on record! How come the days you plan to flop in your bed for hours and hours longer than workdays, you end up wasting by awakening early? Then I get ticked, because I know, tomorrow morning, I am going to have the overwhelming urge to hit the snooze, again and again. Tomorrow is going to be the day my brain tells my body it needs way more sleep.
  At my age, it is not the late nights, because, in my world, late nights are anything beyond 10PM. I am just not sure what the heck causes this constant problem. Yes, I know, I wake with the understanding that I am going to use most of my day, working. But...I sometimes do that when I stay home, yes, note the sometimes. Maybe I need 4 days off, so I can sleep in on day 4, but then, if I take 6 off, it is always day 7. WTF? Is it a virus? I wonder, if I finally retire , will I wake up early every day? OMGosh, that would surely suck!! I suppose upon retirement, my brain would be telling my body, "hey, wake up early! Pretty soon she will be having a very long sleep." Could happen, right?
  How come when I was 15, I could sleep for a full day (if you combined the whole weekend)? Oh, maybe because I was "growing" and my body needed rest? Huh??? I am now 56, and I am hopeful, I am completely grown up, but, I know darn well my body certainly needs a whole lot more rest than it did at 15!!
  Now, I really do not like naps. There is just something wrong with falling asleep for short periods. I remember my Dad always came home from work, ate, and then had a nap in his chair, which lasted about an hour. Helllooo..I don't like those short sleeps. All they do is screw with your mind. The few naps I have had, I woke up completely confused ( don't say it...I am NOT always confused). Is it nighttime? Did I sleep through a whole day? Is it 4AM or 4PM? Will I be able to sleep when I am really suppose to? Plus, I think (Yes I DO, sometimes think) every nap has come with a disturbing dream, I want to perhaps dream very early in the sleep process, and then have that non-dream time to forget the disturbing dreams. Now, I am not totally messed, I have had my share of good dreams, which I can remember when I wake up, but usually only tiny bits, which tells me I had the "show" early in my snooze time. If I could be assured of a "good" dream while napping, perhaps I would be more acceptable.
  I have had dreams that I am working. Those are very unfair. It is unpaid time, and nothing is accomplished. I often think that I go for months without dreaming, but the scientists tell me this is not so. Perhaps those non-dream nights are just short clips of dreams to come? I have had dreams that I would love to be true, spending time with my Mom, those are good ones. I have had the bad ones, falling.. thankfully I must have awaken early enough from those, as I am still here, but once, I woke up at the bottom of the bed, tangled in my sheets, almost choking myself. I have repeat dreams, that are so weird, maybe if  one day I can remember the whole darn thing, I will get the message? Ohhh..maybe I don't want the message???
  So, how do I get onto dreams when I am curious as to why I am going to want to sleep in tomorrow? My guess is, tonight I am going to dream about work, I am going to wear myself out, working very hard, without pay, and when the alarm goes off, I will have to get up and go to work again!!! You never know, I might be right on the money with this theory.
  Now, I am going to go to sleep very early..who wants to lay odds I am not going to want to wake up???

Monday 24 December 2012

Christmas Parties

The plan was, to write a nice little blog to my co-workers. I really do need to thank them, they were the inspiration for blogging, and I have found this has given me the ability to let off steam, which in turn, has made my life a little more pleasant.
  Still a thank you, but, I feel the need to add just a little more.
A few nights ago, we had our annual Staff Christmas party. Now, where I work, this is always just a tad different. We usually have it on the night that the place shuts down for the holidays. Many times, it is in limbo, right up until the last minute, if we will actually have one. I have attended about 8 of these bashes, and the same thing happens each year.
  The boss is extremely generous with the party. No limits to the food we stuff down our throats, or the trips we make to the bar to fill on the alcohol. Each year, one of the cooks will extend his personal time, to cook up all the goodies. This year he had assistance from one of the waitresses. It was awesome!! I am not sure if these people realize, we understand, they do not have to do this, their holidays have started from the moment customers can't come in the door. Heads up, housekeeping staff have always appreciated this gesture.
  So, now we get to the strange part. The one and only section of staff that makes a full appearance, is, housekeeping! O.K. I'm wrong, maintenance does as well, but that is a full staff of perhaps 2, that are usually related. The toilet cleaners look forwards to this time. I wonder if it is because we remain so separate from the rest of the staff? We all enjoy each others company, we have a bond, that perhaps comes with the weird job we perform. This is really the one and only time we can get together, in decent clothing, sit back, and spend more than a few moments together. It is the time we can relax as a group.
   I have seen this time and again, and this year, it became clear. Somehow, we have managed to create our own safe haven. Sure, we have small issues. We may get mad at each other for a minute. But, we really care about one another. Each of us has had personal hardships over the years. Beloved family pets died, spouses got sick or injured, family members  became ill, sudden trips had to be made, and because we do care for each other, we had that extra warmth and compassion from our co-workers.
 No matter how tough the job gets, or how ticked off we become, there is the knowledge that one of these people will step up to the plate and lend a hand, or a shoulder to lean on. For this, I am truly grateful. With this job, I have found an amazing buddy, and developed friendships with young people, who otherwise would not have taken the time to know me, or allow me to see their character and enjoy their laughter. I have met others who I would see out and about, and suddenly found that I actually like them!! Without the job, I would certainly never have become a part of their world.
  I have found laughter in the workplace. There are many days it is hard to grab hold of, but because of those who work with me, someone will suddenly find the funny, and it will be shared. We can go home, and explain to our partners something that happened during the day, and be either totally ticked, or in hysterics, but, although they may laugh, or commiserate, they will never understand the way co-workers do.
   My buddy is always saying "God will get us" for all the catty things that we say. Guests, other staff, folks we see in the coffeeshop, we pick them all apart. "Oh, ever cute" will send us over the edge with laughter. We make up little songs for certain people, like Googly Eyes, we walked certain ways, we knock on the staff bathroom wall and asked stupid questions when co-workers are attempting to spend a few moments quietly. No one is safe. The claws are always out when it comes to folks beyond our group.
  I suppose we are being punished daily, we work in the bitter cold, but if that punishment is directed at us, for the nasty things we say, there must be a whole whack of other folks in town saying things just as nasty about us!!
  So, to my co-workers, Thank you!! This job would be a whole lot more difficult if I did not work with people who I look forwards to spending personal time with, each and every Christmas Staff party! I am not going to go so far as to say "See you Next year" because if I win the Lotto, or find some way to get my sorry butt out of the God Forsaken frozen hole, I will depart faster than summer. But, if I am not so lucky, I will certainly enjoy another evening with you in 2013!!Merry Christmas!!!
  

Saturday 15 December 2012

Battlegrounds?

Today, once again, I will be writing something beyond hotel stuff. I had a very difficult night, sleep did not want to come, as thoughts of families suffering unimaginable grief would not leave my head.
  Yes, I am writing about the horror that occurred yesterday at the Sandy Hook school.I just can't seem to wrap my brain around how something like this is possible. I understand I can't possibly come up with a reason, as things like this do not have any reason, no matter what. They may have idiotic "explanations", but, there is still no reason. No where in the world is there a reason for young children to suffer and die. Children, no matter whether you are Christian or not, are innocents. They are small creatures, who are simply growing and learning how to survive in the world.
  The thought that kept going through my head was, in history, parents have had to hug their young adult children as they went off to war. They knew when they said goodbye to their child, they may never see them again, because they were going into battle. They suffered not hearing from their child, they suffered knowing they were in a war, and could very likely be killed. This was a terrible knowledge, but, they had this when they parted. I certainly do not condone war, never have, never will, but this is a fact of life as we live it, and I have always felt sorrow watching a parent part with a child in the military.
  Now, growing up, I absolutely hated school! Oh, I loved recess, and I loved spare class, and I really loved the 3 o'clock bell. I hated school, because each day, as I trudged off, I worried that I might fail a test, get a detention, have to stand in the corner, or...even worse, in my days, get the strap. Those were the horrors I was concerned about back in the 60's and 70's. Cripes, back then I would also not sleep, perhaps I had some homework that I didn't finish..in all the time I spent laying in bed, I could just have easily spent 15 minutes and finished the stuff, but that wasn't my nature. Then I would have a stomach ache first thing in the morning, worried about the punishment I would receive when I had to hand the sorry piece of work in. Yes, I used to stress about school, maybe I hated my clothes, and worried that someone might say something about my mismatched colours (I have never been a fashion statement), maybe my hair looked stupid, maybe I would screw up in P.E. and someone would laugh. Tough life, eh?
  Who would ever have imagined that, simply going to school was walking into a battlefield? The idea is just too incredible.
   The wish of most parents is to provide an education so their child can go places when they finish school. We want them to do better than ourselves, we want their lives to be just that little bit easier than ours was. We attempt to provide our children with things we wish our parents gave us. We often go without so that our children can at least be a step behind the Jones's. Our goal is to make them fit in, so they can perhaps take a farther step, and excel, without concerns that they don't have everything the next kid has.
  I tried to raise my children with the idea that they could do anything they wanted when they grew up. In that, they understood, their parents would be willing to do what had to be done to allow them to pick their dream, and help them follow it. That promise came with small print. In our home, they followed my rules. Oh, they often did not do their chores, but, that came with punishment, maybe just my ranting at them non-stop, but there were consequences. Some of my children had mouths on them (chips off the old block) those mouths would often get them punished as well.
  I did fight a battle that my parents never had. If I messed up in school, I came home to be punished. There was a direct line from the school Principal, to my home. To mess up in my day, meant double trouble. Yes, there was the strap, it was used in school, and at home, I never got it at school, but believe me, I got it many times at home! My parents could not take toys away from me to punish me, but they could(and it seldom happened) take my blessed reading away, and that would have destroyed my world.
  With my children, the connection was pretty faint. I would always have to call, when I heard my kids speaking about trouble they had, getting sent to the office, or things that seemed off the cuff. Then it would be candy coated when I spoke with the Principal. I would see the results only on report card day, and then it was often too late. It was almost like the school felt they had the upper hand.
   To punish my children, well, my hands were tied much tighten than those of my parents. Corporal punishment is a no no. It messes children up!!! Hollering at your children is abuse!! It can cause low self esteem. Glaring at them is abuse, again, low self esteem. Quiet time was the thing that came out when I was raising my children. Helloooo..there was none of that in my house! Maybe when everyone was sleeping, but, when they screwed up, times were anything but quiet. They made a mistake, and they were damn well going to pay for it, so next time, they thought twice about doing it again. Yep, all my kids got a spanking. And, yes, they were given when, I as a parent, felt it was warranted. Why? Because I was the grown up, and no matter what the government or school says, I did know better! Did I beat them, no. Were they frightened of me?I don't think if you asked them today, they would say they were afraid of their Mother, except when they screwed up. Isn't that how things should be? Did my kids feel fear to come to me with things they were unsure if they had done wrong? Funny, they had the common sense to realize, they would not be punished if they asked my opinion. I was always willing to state my thoughts, and would not lash out and spank them for wanting to know how I felt. I will still give them my opinion today, even though they are all grown, and they do still call to ask. I hope that I have given them the knowledge that when they screw up, they will have to pay, somehow. I do not bail them out, and never have. I never got bailed out of a mess I made growing up, I always had to suffer the consequences, because mistakes do not go away.
  For this young man to do what he did, is becoming NOT uncommon. It is still shocking, and the question instantly is why? Like I said, I don't have the answer to the why.
   I have my personal opinion (as usual) and sadly I think the blame is on my generation. I think we messed up really badly, and now we are suffering the terrible consequences. We have raised a society that no longer is punished. Quiet time is not working. Young criminals go into youth houses. This allows them to enjoy a nice warm homey place, with no work, and the ability to sit about and meet with other teens, who perhaps have a few pointers to give, so when they come out of this "punishment" they are able to use this information  to continue farther into their life of crime. All this is only if they actually get to court. Their names are protected, we can't possibly abuse these young people by letting the public know they screwed up! We used to say they just got a slap on the wrist for doing something bad. Hah! Can't do that, they are protected, can't spank their butts, that is abuse.
  We have simply placed bubble wrap on all the wrongs, so they continue to the point where their mistakes become destructive to others. Why should they stop? There is always someone who will come up with some excuse for the behaviour they commit. Their parents were abusive, they didn't get to socialize, they were poor, they had a single parent home,they were bullied, they were molested, it is always something.
   Is there any excuse for what happened yesterday? Not in my mind!! Is this the punishment we are receiving for all our mistakes? Lord Love us!! I cannot possibly imagine a higher price to pay for Societies errors. To lose so many possibilities for our world, all at once. To tear so many families into tiny pieces, and place life long sorrow on so many, as well as the world.
  This person was not from another country, he did not set out to destroy an enemy. He festered in the same town, in the same schools, in the same neighbourhood. He grew up with the same rules, the same education, the same media. He is a home grown monster, crafted by our way of life. No fear of consequences, no morals, no ethics, no thought of others. He obviously felt his rights were above all others.
  Now a child heading off to school has so many fears I did not. Imagine, going into a building to learn, wondering if someone is going to walk in the doors, and kill you. I can't imagine a parent today, having to part with their tiny little child, for the few hours, wondering if they will see them alive again. My heart is aching for the sorrow these families are suffering. We have to find a way to put a stop to this. Perhaps this is the end of the world as we know it? I certainly do not know this world, it is not the one I grew up in.

Sunday 9 December 2012

Big Bad Bully

Well, knock my socks off!!! Today I was reported to the office for being a part of a group of bullies! Honest to goodness, if you wanted blow my mind, you could not have come up with something more off the wall.
  Bullying is a nasty thing. I admit, I likely did some of that while growing up, and can honestly state, I was on the receiving end, more than once. I hate this horrid occurrence, it should never happen, it is cruel and evil, and deadly. I know how painful it is to suffer this abuse, and wish it would disappear, instead of growing to massive proportions like it is presently.
  I think bullying is childish, and perhaps we can never expect children to stop, but we can hope that when they grow up, they will learn to consider the feelings of fellow human beings, and as my Mother always said, "treat others as you wish they would treat you". I am grown up, and I know that I do not condone bullying.
  I also admit, I am not the easiest person to be around. I am outspoken, and when I feel strongly about something, I will not beat about the bush, I will simply state my opinion, and stick by it..until, of course, someone is able to make me eat crow, and I have choked those feathers down a few times.
  I will tell anyone and everyone, I do not like liars. I usually give folks a chance, I listen, and if they continue lying, I will doubt every single thing they say in the future. I will get to the point when I refuse to even listen to these liars. I roll my eyes (very experienced in the silent gestures) shake my head, and then start to make strange noises, which I hope the liar recognizes as a warning to stop. The signs are pretty obvious, those I work with have learned to spot the signals quickly, and then they will in turn, zone in on what is causing my discomfort.
  Lately I have had to deal with too many lies. I am past the point of forgiveness. I do not like people who will not accept blame for mistakes, but even more important, I abhor people who try and place the blame on others. Besides being outspoken, I am observant. I watch all the time, and as stated previously, I detect. When someone rubs me the wrong way, they become almost a fixation. I will watch every movement, and hang on to every single word that spews forth from their mouths. I need to do this, mainly so that when I have to confront these people, I can, without any doubt, place my evidence to stop yet another lie. Ask my 3 children, lying to this Mother seldom happened. I had tricks, the main one was to make my kids repeat a lie and look into my eyes as they spoke every single word. Hey, there were a few times I did this trick, and was not sure if they were in fact lying, but...either my kids were pretty darn honest, or they were frightened to death of me. I lay odds I got the truth 99.9% of the time.
  Since I could not get a grown woman to look into my eyes, without other eye brows being raised, I was not able to stop the continuing fables, and admit, I became a woman possessed. I had no patience, and the dislike grew daily.
  Today, the problem got worse. The person went from lying, to being totally rude. She did what my kids were smart enough not to do (after the first mistake) and started to mutter and mumble about me, within hearing. Hellooo...we are not in kindergarten. I simply requested she speak up, as I could not hear her clearly. Oooops, my bad!!! Total silence. This continued for a couple of hours.Oh, she refused to speak to me, but would spew nasty remarks to no one in particular.
   At one point , she got her belongings, stormed out across to the office, and reported myself and 2 other co-workers of bullying her!! We apparently did not smile, brought our problems from home to work, and refused to speak to her, instead, we laughed together.The worst form of bullying, is lying to hurt others.
  Know that you have just spent your last moments with me. I warn everyone, I just cannot stand lies, I have found that in the past few years, I  met the world's greatest liar, and that person caused my family an incredible amount of grief. I doubt I will ever meet someone who surpasses this repulsive creature, but, I am not about to give any space to another liar who will spew sh*t about myself, or my co-workers. You just lit the match to burn this bridge. It is an interesting fact, sometimes when you watch these bridges burn, you are overwhelmed by joy and relief, and this is definitely such a time!

Friday 7 December 2012

My Christmas Blog

I know, it is early, but, this has been rumbling away inside me for days now, and it is best I let it out. As you can imagine, this is NOT going to relate to toilets, or hotels, it is simply going to spew forth from my heart. Yes, I do have one of those, and as the season starts winding up, my heart gets very warm and tender. Oh, I know, my family will claim this isn't true, I am still the hard nosed ,miserable bat they have grown to love. But, tender and warm, are perhaps just a little different in my world.
  I cry at the drop of a hat during this season. When I hear a Christmas Carol from my past, the tears start all by themselves. I will cry when I watch little children on TV meeting Santa, and the awe on their faces will set me off. I still cry in parts of the Christmas Carol story. I think "It's a wonderful life" is one of the finest movies, and will snort and sniffle through the whole show. Oh, I do this overtly, I will cough and blow my nose, covering the fact that I am a softie.
  I cry far more now, then ever before, but, most of the time, the crying is beneficial. I have been blessed with just one of Scrooge's 3 Christmas Ghosts. That is the Ghost of Christmas past. This is one that I welcome with open arms. The pieces of the past that show up in my mind, are all pieces that have been stored away in my softening heart. Each one is precious, and I end up looking like an idiot, smiling with rivers running down my face.
  Most of my wonderful memories include my Mother. After almost 30 years, she is still greatly missed.. I try each year to set up my Tree on her birthday, something she used to do every year.
   Poor woman, her birthday often was the last day of school before the Holidays. I wonder if she dreaded those holidays as much as I used to? But, up would go the tree. She did this pretty much alone.  We had the most amazing aluminum tree, it was all silver (pretty classy back in the day). My brother and I would add our own touches to the tree. We had these clear decorations that you could open, and shove various things in, and hang them on the tree.And, always, the Jersey Milk chocolate bar for our family dog would hang from one of the higher branches.
  I swear my Mom had a list, she would ensure that my brother and I had the same amount of gifts. We would get the enormous packages in the mail from grandparents in Scotland, and packages from Grandparents in Ontario. The Scottish ones would be filled with exotic candy, and hankies, the Ontario ones would have the world's best knitted slippers. I have changed quite a bit from those days. I would rip one gift open after another, while my brother slowly peeled the tape off his. After moments I would be done, but he would just be on his second gift, and I would always start counting, sure he got far more than myself. I admit, we were pretty even steven.
  We would always go to Church Christmas Eve. I loved that time. We would walk into the tiny building past walls of snow, the place would be decorated with wonderful freshly cut boughs. There would be a concert, and I did my time playing various parts of the Christmas story. Everyone would be smiling, and dressed up. We would get bags of hard candy from Miss Savery and Miss Alexander (two missionary women who made a huge impact on my life) and Japanese oranges.
  I remember envying my German and Austrian friends, because I knew, when they went home, they would open their gifts. I tried my very best to convince my parents this made far more sense, than waiting till the next morning. I remember telling my Mom that I would fall asleep much easier, if we could just get the presents over with at night. Never happened. We did get to open one, and it was always handed to us, and always the nice new pajamas and housecoat. I look back at Christmas pictures and I am always in a lovely ensemble , but the bed head, totally takes away from the clothing.
  I remember the first gifts I bought my Mother and Father. They were purchased with the money I made hauling empties we collected about town. Cripes, time have sure changed, I made oodles of cash doing this! I ordered them all by myself from the Eatons Christmas Wish book. My Mom got a box filled with a collection of perfume from Paris, and my Dad got a tray of dried fruit. I must admit, this does beat some of the gifts my children have given me in the past.
  Yes, I remember some of the special toys I got. I got a two wheeler one year, and had that thing out on the road in the middle of winter, with 6 foot snow banks. Didn't get too far, but, I can describe that bike in detail.
  What I remember most, though, is the excitement of the knocks of the door, and the incredible amounts of food and I suppose booze,lol. I have pictures of the whole living room filled with visitors. People would stop off at houses, have a drink and a snack, and then head off to another. We did that visiting early Christmas Eve, to the homes of those lucky German and Austrian people.
  We always had an abundance of pop and chips and goodies. Now, back in the day, treats were not near as common, so Christmas was next to Halloween on stocking up on our fill of junk food.I suppose that is one thing that has not changed over time. I try to make sure I manage to bake shortbread and butter tarts, just because those were always on our Christmas table.
  I remember the Christmas that we knew we were losing my Mom. We got word that she was not going to survive, in the middle of December. My brother and I decided that we would hold off on Christmas until she was able to make the trip home from Vancouver. Oh, we had the celebrations in our homes, but the family one got put off until January that year. Setting things up in the empty house that year was painful. We had to go through the motions, and put on a show. That Christmas is one best forgotten, but , it was when I realized, this time is one for family. It is a time to hold on to what is important, not a time to worry that you can't afford to get your child what they want, not a time to try and out decorate the neighbour, not a time to wallow in misery. It is simply a time to be thankful for what you have accumulated in your heart.
  This is the year I feel I have finally grown up. I have not stressed over Christmas Present at all. I am certainly not worried about Christmas future. I am simply surrounded by Christmas Past and thrilled to spend the tiny little bits of time, with those who are no longer with me.
  My wish for all my friends, and all those who read my rantings, is that you be given the gift of Christmas Past, and it brings you buckets of happy tears, and miles of smiles!!!
  

Saturday 1 December 2012

Creepers

I'm back...!!! I know, it's the time of year when I have so many plans, I tend to waste every single moment, deciding what to do, and almost always, get diddly done. Ooops..silly me, it's that time of year 365 days in a row, I'm just making excuses.
   I do feel the pull to sit and write, but, then I sit down, bash away at the keys, read what has spewed from my wasted brain cells, and decide, I just can't publish. Thank goodness for the delete option, I understand I have hit send a few times I should not have, but, you have no clue what I could have possibly thrown out at you, if not for the vanishing button.
  Today, I decided I would write about Creepers. These nasty vermin are everywhere in life, but, we get more than our share in the hotel. The one that has been hanging about, up until just days ago is a prime example.
  Many of them love the do not disturb sign. I think that is because, they are already so disturbed, they can't handle anymore. They usually start off trying very hard to make themselves seem likeable.
   In my books, folks who try too hard to appear nice, are not....Hey, that's why I know I am really really nice, because I never waste my energy trying to be likeable. I figure I am not everyone's cup of tea, and it would be far too much work to be all that others feel is positive, so...I find friends don't have to number in the hundreds, a person is perfectly happy with a chosen few. Therefore, I am perfectly happy, well, in the friend line of things...
  So, in he comes, Mr. smiley face, big talk, do not disturb.."I keep a clean room, I'll just ask for stuff when I need it". Oh, Oh...Weeks pass, the person moves from one room to another because of issues, or a better one comes open, or, he has company...We clean up after him, noticing as time goes on, each room becomes harder to clean. The sign is glued to the door, but the door opens and closes with various, sundry (put that in for you TB)strangers wandering about.
Oh, the smells. He has a non-smoking room, but apparently that is only in regards to nicotine, home grown  smoke is not covered in the same policy.
 He becomes the keeper of the thermostat, his back door is open to allow the company to flit in and out, therefore he feels the urge to crank the heat in the whole building up to 35..clueless that others are sweltering without the open door option.
  He is everywhere! In the restaurant, in our laundry room, in our linen room, in our store room, everywhere we turn, there is his smarmy face. Oh, then he starts appearing in the office, apparently getting cash loans from our employer.
   Huh???This man works at a pretty good paying job, he drinks like a fish, he has what smells like an endless supply of pot (in a town where apparently it is hard to come by) eats his meals in the restaurant (even though he insisted he has a kitchen room) and is surrounded by grubblies, who gaze in adoration at him. Why on earth does he need to scrounge money from the person he is suppose to be renting a room from?  
  Helloooo..The bells started clanging when we saw that occur. If I was my boss, I would have been shaking my head, and pulling out that room bill. We all know when the guy gets paid, we also know that he gets living out allowance that would cover his hotel bill, but...he is constantly broke? Ooooohhh. yep, that's trouble.
   It appears the last time he attempted to get a "loan" it was refused. So, what did Mr. Wonderful do? The one and only thing he could, to get pay-back. In the middle of the afternoon, he insisted the housekeepers go into his room, and perform a full meal deal clean. Yuck, Yuck, and yuck again!! What a filthy pig sty!! We certainly got the slap in the head for him not getting his pocket money. The Do Not sign glued to the door, was stuck on by dirt. The bathroom was enough to make a maggot gag.
  Prince Charming has left the building. His bill is still sitting there, along with apparently at least one of his ex co-workers a few hundred bucks lighter in the wallet. We are left with a national disaster of a room to muck out, and he has gone off with likely his full last pay cheque in his pocket. I bet this was a blast for him. Hey, old friends saw Mr. big job, buying drinks and splurging, it was party every weekend, and sometimes weekdays. They are going to miss this big spender. Oh, I bet in about 2 years you see him show up again, ready to spew excuses, someone in his family was sick, had an accident, or passed a gallstone. He has no scruples, this will not bother him at all. Creepers all feel they have the right to ignore the rules.
  Hummm..We have all heard of tea leaf readers, I wonder if somehow, maybe.....we have become Glue Poo readers, and have the ability to read the future in the toilet bowl splatters. The boss could have saved herself a whole lot of grief if she had simply asked us what the splatters said about this creeper.

Thursday 22 November 2012

The King Eddy

I have decided to write about someplace famous. Actually, it is famous to only a select few, those who resided in the very tiny town I grew up in. No, it is not a museum, nor an art gallery, or a monument, hummm...perhaps that is wrong, it may ,in fact, be a monument. It was, the local hotel and restaurant.
  I wish I was technological enough to figure out how to post pictures, as this hotel has an amazing history.
  The town I grew up in, was really born because of mining. I hear about folks heading off to Barkerville, and all the stories they tell of the historic buildings, and the "actors" that play in this town. Well, perhaps those same people who do not understand why I am always bragging about the place I grew up in, can get an insight now. I grew up in a place that was a functioning Barkerville. The buildings all had false fronts on them, the roads were gravel, the sidewalks were wooden. We had the Drugstore, with the "sundae fountain bar", we had the General store with the wooden floors, and the horse snow shoes on the wall. We had the local Grocery store with the boy who would haul the ladies paper bags full of groceries home in his wagon. We had a restaurant called "Bonus Nick's" and a Ladies Clothing store called "Marie's". We had the old "Marmot" an enormous wooden building, with a "porch" that ran the length of it. The old "Empress" was always empty when I was growing up, but in the past, it had been a sight to see, with a fancy Ballroom.
   By far, the most interesting place, to me, was the King Eddy. The real name was the King Edward Hotel. Oh, it was massive, centered right in the middle of town, with a restaurant attached. It had a porch as well that ran the front of it, with hitching posts. In one window, there was a barber chair set up, and one of the local women would cut men's hair, so if you were lucky, you would catch a glimpse of this excitement.  It was two stories, with a bar that had a Mens and Ladies entrance. I am sad to say, I never set foot in this Bar, but I bet it was filled with stories of Miners and Painted ladies, who had arrived in this tiny town, hoping to make their fortunes.
  The hotel was used to tell everyone where to meet. All the events of the small town were "Down by the King Eddy". Santa Claus used to arrive in advance, in a helicopter on the street in front of the King Eddy. The July 1st Queen always drove down the road, past the King Eddy. As Kids we would be able to walk as far as the King Eddy, but not in front, because kids just didn't hang out uptown.
   Now, keep in mind, all grownups in my childhood, were Mr. or Mrs. something. I am from the old school, when you were almost frightened of adults, if you goofed up, they might just speak to your parents, and then you would get a spanking, for being rude. It was simply safer to just cross the road when you came upon a grownup, and we did this. Gosh, as a child I longed for the day when I would be the grownup, and children would scatter, in respect to me. Hah! That never happened, somehow all that respect went out the door with my generation.But, perhaps the reason we did not go past the side of the hotel , was that you were certain to run into a Mr. or Mrs. out front.
  When Mr. McLeod senior passed away, his son took over the King Eddy. He built onto the original building, and added more rooms. I remember this section lasted for a short time,then, suddenly one night, the King Edward hotel burned to the ground. Oh, we had many buildings burn, most of the false fronted original buildings in town were destroyed over a few years, and sadly, the Barkerville look to the town changed.
  The new King Edward was finished the year I turned 15. It was lovely, all brand spanking new, and so modern. I saw a notice that the hotel was looking for a weekend front desk clerk. For some reason this just seemed like a dream job to me. But, I was 15, people didn't hire kids under 16, right? I clearly remember my mother telling me to sit down, and write the owner, and let him know how much I wanted this job, and that I would be willing to go in, and learn for free, if he would give me a chance.
  This wonderful man gave me my very first job, and paid me right from the start. He was the best boss anyone could ask for.(I have mentioned this in the past) I met an amazing group of people throughout my years at the front desk of this hotel, but perhaps, only one held a candle to my boss, and that was his good friend Adam O.K. who would run the hotel when the boss was away.
  The King Eddy was the place every teenager worked. It was the place we would hang out after school, eating fries and gravy. It was the place the friend who was waitressing would "steal" saltshakers from, so we could go hide out at the park and play 21 for shots of tequila. It was the place when we turned 19, we would get plastered and make fools of ourselves. It was the place we would drink until last call, and find someone willing to drive us over the border to Alaska (15 minutes away) so we could continue drinking until 5-6 in the morning.
  To this day, each and every person I connect with from my past, has some memory of the King Eddy. Most of those stories will never be written,and some are likely best forgotten. It was a place to go with old friends, and a place many of us made new friends.The moment you walked in the door, it was like putting on a pair of favourite slippers, just cozy, and welcome. You knew everyone who worked there by name, and everyone sitting at the other tables. You just belonged.
  Sadly, times have changed, tourism is the main goal of almost every place in the world. To make things appeal to visitors there must be some sort of rule book. Little towns all appear cookie cutter, flowers, parks, boardwalks, and signs, signs, signs. I return to the old hometown, and no longer get that feeling of comfort, and belonging. It has become clear, a town is not home because of the buildings, a town is built on the people who reside within them. Those people who made the hotel seem like the hub of my world for so very many years, have since passed away. They took something very special with them, and the world is a much sadder place without this. The warmth and compassion, and sense of community, has been lost.
   If only we had taken lessons.
 

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Paying Taxes to be Taxed

Holy Cow!! I have written so many times, and just deleted, again, and again. Once again, I have far too much crapola flittering about in my head, I can't focus on any one thing. I have been so mad, then so tired, then so defeated. Just can't seem to get my S*it together.
   That in itself, is not unusual, think total disorganization is one of my set standards. I dream of awaking each morning with my day planned, every little detail listed in line, ready to be checked off, as completed. Hah! Each night when I lay down, ready to drift off into dreamland, I start to think (yes, it is possible for me) all the loose ends start to collect, how am I going to deal with them? What has to be put at the top of the To-do list, what can wait until later? What is going to cause me the most grief, if I don't get it over and done with? That's when the problem arises. There are just far too many of those grief causing problems, and I begin to get swamped, thinking how am I ever going to get to them all. Oh, keep in mind, this is all over and above actually accomplishing my work day.
  So...then it is a matter of deciding, which unsolved issue is not government related. Yep, got to deal with anything, and everything connected to government.
   I know, now you just assume I am speaking of bills. Well, yes, of course I am!! The root of all evil is money. The cause of most sleep depriving problems, are geared around money. Bills can make or break a person. They can cause stomach ulcers, headaches, and sundry other medical problems. But, the worst type of bill is one owed to the government.
  I can breath a sigh of relief, I am up to date with my damn income taxes. Lordie, each pay day, I see the whack of money they take, so I can enjoy the finer things in life????I pay taxes on everything, some things, I pay various taxes on. I pay a tax on food, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, my property, my water, my sewage, my clothing, my electricity and heat. Then I pay tax on my wages. Why on earth do I have to pay money to make money? That is about as stupid as paying to receive a paper bill.
  In my special little province, we also have this new bully. That is the Medical Services Plan of British Columbia. Wow, this has become a real scam. We are so very lucky to have such an amazing medical service. This system is overrun by contractors. Our province has opened up the door and brought in a collections service for any and all citizens, who have somehow fallen behind with their premiums. These premiums run about $64, for those lucky enough to work for a living. That is when the trouble starts. If you do NOT pay these people, they will begin to harass you. They will threaten you, they will call night after night, then they will simply do what, as government related folks can, t garnishee your wages. You will not speak to the actual Medical Service folks, oh no, these people are paid by our tax dollars, as an outside collections agency, to ensure the government gets your money. Hummm...O.K. question here is, if the government is paying a collection Agency to collect the actual amount you owe them, where does the money the collection agency profits come from? Yep, you guessed it, something else our tax dollars are used for.
  One issue I have seen happen time and time again, is this new extended Health care benefit scam. I call it a scam, because when Old Tommy Douglas first brought out the idea of a country where every Canadian had Health care, I am absolutely sure he did not envision what has transpired. Back in the "old days" folks often found a job that paid the medical premiums. That is how I first ran into issues with MSP. We came to a new place of employment. I noticed that medical was included, and as a total idiot, I assumed this simply meant, the employer did as before, and paid what the government wanted. Hah!! This was simply the luxury package plan. My honey paid a pretty hefty chunk to allow us the options, not included in MSP. You know, like that possible ambulance trip, or maybe crutches, or casts, things no longer covered by the standard medical.
  I learned this the hard way, after years, I got a call from MSP informing me that I owed them a ton of money. I had not signed any papers, didn't have a clue, and was left with no leg to stand on, had to find some way of paying these blood suckers off. Hey, I had never been to the Doctor..sorry..mandatory I pay for the ability for pi$$ poor medical services. I pay the same as Joe Blow in Vancouver, but I get no frills. No Doctor on weekends, no Doctor at night, no Doctor on specific days. No emergency, no surgeon, no new fangled machines, no Cancer Clinic..NO,NO,NO!! Oh, a bus that will haul my sorry hurting A$$ the 12 hours or more to Vancouver, where I can access something, after I wait on that long list.
  I didn't pay that big bill fast enough, years back. I will honestly inform you, that one day, I went to work, to be called into the employers office, where I was told. my beloved MSP Collections Agency had garnisheed my wages. I paid on this for many months, 1/3 of my wage going to this mandatory bill. I kept track, and they continued to withdraw their chunk, long after it was paid off. I called, and was informed that if I had not been behind, I would not be in this mess. They would get to refunding me when the time came!!Yep, a collections agency, with the power of government!!
  When I see the glimmer of Health Care over in my neighbours yard, I wonder,do they have a clue. Should I be grateful that I am able to dish out $64 a month, for substandard services? When over in another province, folks never worry about the monthly bill, because their provincial government has found some way to include this once a year in their income tax? Should I be grateful that if I break my back, I will have to find some way to purchase a back brace before I can be allowed to leave the hospital?
  I think I will try and find out what health care provided when this all started. I bet like everything else the government has been left in charge of, it has been chipped away so badly, it resembles nothing like the past. Things now costs so much more, for so little. Red Tape is wound so tightly about everything , that costs have soared, because there are so many taking their little piece of profit. In the end, we are simply paying taxes to allow ourselves to be taxed. Incredible!!!

Monday 12 November 2012

Mouth Piece

 What would I think of me, if I was someone else? Do I really think of my self as a mouth piece? Why am I so blatant? Does anyone else, not feel the need to have questions answered, or reasons given for things that are done? Am I the only one who spews their personal take on things? If something seems wrong to me, is it not right to state this? I want everything to make sense to me, and I am not sure why this would make me loud and obnoxious, as I am sure some feel. I am often told to keep my voice down...Helllooo...if I feel that I am being ignored with my questions, or that reasons given for certain things are, in my mind, ludicrous, and I am expected to accept, I can't stop. Perhaps I get louder, because I get irritated. I hate having to quietly accept that which is not acceptable to me. I suppose, in truth, I refuse to accept. Most of the time, I understand that no matter how long, and how loud I get, things will not change, but..maybe if I can manage to find a group of folks, like myself (what a horror scene that would be) and together we refuse to accept, things may change.
  Oh, don't get me wrong. I know my personal opinion is not always right, but...I am going to blurt this out, most of the time, it IS!!!There are times when, maybe, I might change my opinion, if someone would take the time and have the patience to convince me my way is wrong. There hasn't been anyone step up to that plate, yet.
  Many times, I have had to walk away, knowing that what I think would be best, is not popular, and therefore, not going to happen. Maybe if I was able to organize, and write down my thoughts, in order, I might get farther in convincing others. My problem is, I tend to feel so strongly, that I ramble(shock). Cripes, even years back when my honey and I would have blasting verbal fights, I would go off on tangents, and, after rambling for hours, finish, only to clue in, I never got to the point. Oh, plus, he would never, ever, join in these verbal clashes, so I would be the only voice screeching away.
  I find that when I start on some subject, I see eyes rolling, and those I am attempting to get answers from, will attempt to mollify me, in a condoning way. Folks, do not talk to me like a child!! I may appear to be loud and stubborn, and I guess that is all true, but I am NOT an idiot. I know the way things are suppose to be done, and I get mad if those in power, do things against the rules. I refuse to accept a reason to break the rules. I have had to follow rules for the past 56 years, many of them, I wished I could break, but, my generation had things written in stone (like our wheels) and, actually the rules kept things running in a straight line.
  Now I find, when I am getting old and feeble, the rules are being broke all the time. I am a mass of confusion trying to figure out when the rules of life were changed. I am not talking about rules of marriage , or fashion, or heaven forbid, even religion, I am speaking of honesty and truth. I HATE liars, and I hate people who twist facts, and skip rules they don't like, just to get the end result they wish for. I hate it when things that are wrong, are ignored. I can't ignore them, and often I feel all alone, because my voice is the only one I hear speaking out loud. Then I begin to think, maybe I am wrong, maybe my personal take on things is off, but no one is answering, and I am still screaming.
  The only way to silence this mouth piece,is simple, just answer my questions and my concerns. If I am wrong, the answers should be right there. Because I am not getting any answers, I must accept that, once again, my personal opinion on things must be the correct ones! Therefore, I am absolutely positive, me, myself, and I would definitely like ourselves!!

Sunday 11 November 2012

Said Hummm...

I understand, most folks will not understand the title. Those who had the privilege of growing up with me, will. We used to have this poem we said,it went something like.."Tied on the railway tracks,said Humm.. train coming..said Humm...Train ran over me...said Hummm." In my mind, this was basically something that would be said when crazy stuff happened, that a person had no control over, you just had to wait till the train ran you over, and hoped that you survived.
  Today, that poem kept going through my head. I feel like my buddy and I are simply tied to the railway tracks.
   Years ago, because we had worked at our jobs longer than those who would flitter in and out, our wages were a few dollars more than the average worker. Now those dollars were hard earned, we both started at minimum wage back in the day, and I think we can honestly say, we have worked for each and every raise we have received. I admit, we do make a decent wage, the job is hard, and in truth, worth every penny we make. I can go home after a days work, and feel that I have given my employer their monies worth of my labour.
  O.K. perhaps there have been a few days, and, really, only a few, that I may have "made puppies" for a couple of hours, but, those have been very seldom in the past 2 years. I admit, I enjoy having the "puppy" time, it is unusual, and such a pleasure to not feel strapped for time, to get everything done. But, to be totally honest, I feel guilty when this happens, I do not expect to receive money for nothing (unlike Dire Straits).  I have taught myself to begin my days attempting to complete as much as possible before lunch break, just in case the unexpected occurs, and things are added to my To-Do list. Sometimes I will finish early, but most times, there is always something extra I could do if I wanted to finish at the regular time.
  Times have changed, we now have a few others who have been with us longer than a couple of months. Before the raises, I could understand(sometimes) why everyone did not feel the urge to commit as much effort as my partner and I , since we did in fact make more in wages. I wondered if the others realized how long it took the two of us to get to our rate of pay, how many years we worked making far less than they did, doing far more. We were the pioneers, learning what was expected, getting in trouble for mistakes, learning the easiest way to do jobs, in the quickest way. Ensuring that we did not constantly get complaints for jobs not done properly, working sometimes 9 hours a day, 11-13 days in a row. This is NOT done by anyone now. There is no need, but there is still the need to do our share. Yes, we used to have the unspoken rule, when one of us finished our work load, we would check to see if another needed help, because they got a sudden bad strip, or had an abundance of weeklies. This was done, because we had all got stuck overworking, we understood how tired another would be, and we had to be considerate of our co-workers, because we knew, the next day, it might be ourselves that needed their help.
  Fair is fair, right? Now we are all in line with our wages. With the raise in pay, comes the expectation to give the employer what they are paying for. Do I feel I have to accept more work on my plate for the raise I received? No!!! No, I don't!!! I feel what I have been given in in line with the performance I have given for the past years, without the extra money. I will continue to work at the same pace, because I know I am giving all I have (90% of the time).
  The problem now is, what about the rest of the employees? Do my partner and I have to continue working at the same pace we do, and end up, once again, as the idiots, working our butts off ensuring all the work gets done, tip toeing about without ruffling any feathers?
  I have decided that once again, I will bring up the word "Consideration". I complained in the past about the lack of this from my employer, and that, bad as it can be, is nothing like feeling this lack from co-workers. We need to consider those who work beside us. We all have lives outside of work, we all have good days and bad days, but, without each other, the job would be impossible. We are friends in respect that we actually like each other, and we are the only ones who truly understand what our jobs consist of. I know what it is like to have sudden surprises in a work day, and I want to be able to offer my co-workers assistance on a bad day. But, I don't want to continually do my share, and then have to step in and help complete that of a co-worker because they did not make proper use of their time. I am tired of taking a large clump, to ensure another gets something that is small enough that they can waste time each and every day. I want some puppy making time once in awhile, too. We are a close group, we understand everyone can have a bad day, and we accept that, and it is a simple thing to support a co-worker when these days happen. But..we also expect something in return. If each of us can return the support, and if all of us can count on the other, the disappointment and hurt, will not dissolve into anger and resentment.
  I can't believe I am going to write this, but...I am far too old, and far too tired to waste anymore energy on being mad at someone. Oh, don't worry, I will continue to blog my guts out, but, I like to stay on my fine wire...and I am afraid I am getting a little wobbly right now.
 

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Chocolate Pudding

Well, let's start by saying...I am wealthier than I was last pay day. Yep...it finally happened, after years of doing without, many of us got a raise. Now, I expect I am not suppose to speak of this, why is that? I have gotten raises before, and always with the same comment..." don't say anything to the others". Helloooo...I would think that handing someone a raise, is something others should know. It would give them hope that perhaps in time, they could make the same wage as I do. Hey, my workplace isn't abnormal, I remember the secrecy in my honey's work place. Wages are now kept under wraps. So....I am going against the grain, and stating I am so relieved that at long last, I got something that will help with the increase of the cost of living. Cripes, heading into winter, certainly need a little extra cash to spend on utilities.
  So, onto the title subject. Now, I have mentioned before that my buddy is always calling me a detective. My job is so menial that my tiny little brain has come up with the ability to over think stupid stuff. I have to figure out reasons for things that occur in Bizarro world. Hey, I am at an age where apparently this is good, I could simply buy myself a crossword book, or Suduko and get the neurons or whatever they are, flashing away to ward off memory loss, instead, I spend hours scrubbing away, detecting whys or whats that happen at work.
  You may have read my blog about Med Forman..in which I state, and it is fact, that this stuff causes dinahrena (inside joke) and as toilet scrubbers we have seen the results many times of this medication. Those folks who have to take this, do so to help with an illness, so in truth, they do not do this simply to make our jobs more difficult, and, I suppose, I could try and be a little more understanding, as I scrub the glue poo.
  However!!!! That crapola that comes in the ginormous plastic black containers, that all the young guys haul into their rooms, filled with powder that claims it is going to help them build muscles or whatever, should be banned! First off, when a young guy wakes up at an ungodly hour to get ready for work, and attempts to take the required amount of this powder out of the container, it tends to spill everywhere. Crap, it is like coffee whitener. I admit, some of these guys are pretty buff, but I doubt the powder is the reason, perhaps weight lifting, or a labour intensive job?
  The past few days, we have had a young guy in one of the outlying rooms, Every single day, we have had to scrub his toilet. The stuff is all over the sides, hellooooo..how the heck does someone poop so much, it sticks to the sides of the bowl daily? Well, mystery solved. My buddy happened to get the job of going in there the other day, and found the bowl full of chocolate pudding. It was like he ate a whole cake, and it came out in the bowl. I am not sure if it was a good thing he forgot to flush, I do know she doesn't think it was good, but it did answer the question I had as to why I had to always scrub the sides,lol. Heehee, this grossed her out, and it does take a fair bit to make that one gag. But, as my neurons flashed, I detected it was a result of that damn black container. I think it is full of laxatives, guys are not building muscles, they are simply flushing out anything they eat!
   I think instead of this horrid powder garbage, they should eat cashews. Why, you ask? Well, I know when I eat those tasty morsels, I also flush my system out. They taste really good, likely far better than powder, and the end result is the same. Plus, the hardworking housekeepers could have one or two of these nuts, after they work up a sweat scrubbing the pudding off the toilet walls.

Thursday 1 November 2012

She feels sooo Dirty

Now, I have my suspicions of why my buddy gets herself into uncomfortable positions, more than any of the rest of us. She is the one I mentioned will ignore a Do NOT Disturb, if it is left on a door too long. She is also the one who will start off early in the morning, on a day when we semi- know that guys have the day off, knocking and opening doors. She is the one who will whip a door open and trudge upstairs in the large out lying units, checking closed doors. Therefore, she is also the one who has seen more buck naked bodies, caught more folks sitting on the throne,and actually caught folks in the midst of romance. She has no fear of opening a door. Myself, I knock, I listen, I knock, and then I creak the door open very slowly. Yes, I have caught a glimpse of legs and the occasional bum, but, nothing like my buddy.
   I have mentioned the crackerjack prize before. This is the one who plopped herself outside on a chair, allowing me to enter and clean up her room. She has been camped out in her little cave of a room forever. We HATE her!!! She has rearranged her tiny hole (pardon the pun) so she can lay in her bed, facing the TV. This room does not have a kitchen, so she has been living without a sink for months. The dishes are dumped into the bath tub, and cooking is done in a frying pan. The room is a dust ball. When we do get in, we have to skim a coating off everything. The toilet is a mess, the sink is disgusting, coated in makeup, and hair. I suppose when your only job is to be at the beck and call of your "man" you have plenty of time to coat yourself in makeup, to cover a body that apparently does not bathe. Really...one day, we used a full bottle of febreeze to cover the BO long enough to clean. Hummm...you would think she would at least shave her legs, and clean and polish her assets, if she is simply there for"romance", not this chickie, she is gross!!
  So, my beloved friend sets off to clean the room next to these lovebirds. Oh lordie, she enters the adjoining room just as they are in the middle of nookie. Yuck, puke, and gag...the walls are paper thin, and every single sound stings her ear drums. Yeeew..the whole problem is, we have cleaned after her, we have seen them, the imagination is not needed for the visual that goes along with the sounds. Hey, again, not a prude, I imagine cooped up in that shabby room, there is little more to do besides TV, totally understandable, but....because we HATE her, and because she is filth, and because my buddy hears "Did THAT feel good" it was just too much. We feel so sorry for the poor fellow that has been staying in the next room, he must hear this many nights, as he lays in his tiny single bed, next to the cardboard wall. I told my friend, it was a good thing I wasn't with her, as I would have simply answered the feel good question with a snide comment. She held back the vomit, and left the building, feeling dirty.
  I am aware that these folks are adults, and sex is natural and enjoyable, however, now we have to enter the rooms on either side, with a fear that they will be breeding yet again. I suppose we can begin carrying around ear plugs, but the damage is done. Like someone I know used to say, we will all have to kill a puppy just to get this horrid picture out of our minds.
  If she had been spending her time, cleaning up her stink, making things nice for her man to come home to, having the dishes cleaned and out of the bath tub, even if she had a ring around the tub from bathing, it would not have been so horrifying to have the sound effects. I have a difficult time walking into the nasty, smelly hovel, gloving up and making that bed, my imagination just goes into overdrive. I do NOT ever, ever want to know what it was he asking "felt good", I think he may very well have had a hot wash cloth, and soap, and was cleaning her from top to bottom...Hey...that's what I want to imagine, and so that IS what was happening!!!

Saturday 27 October 2012

My Voice

I sat down to write about this last week, and didn't get it done. Since then, I see my mentor has put it on his blog, and I feel so strongly, I best get at it.
  I got news of Mr. Harper's latest foray, through Facebook. I was writing a comment, and had a friend's daughter hint of this on the same thread. I just had to go check it out, as I didn't believe what I was reading.
  Now, first,to let all of you folks out there understand a tad of what is happening in my neck of the woods. In the past few years, it appears a large chunk of our resources in this area, have been of interest to China. Hey, I am all for progress..I grew up in a very small town that survived on natural resources as it's economy. I am one of those who want to slap those who attempt to stop mining and logging, for the sake of tourism. Tourism is fine in it's place, but, it is not going to put food on every table in British Columbia.
   I have a problem with big city folks who thumb their noses at logging. Cripes, if we were still using paper bags, our environment would not be in the mess it is now, with all those frigging plastic bags. You can grow a new tree very easily, you can grow a whole new forest. There is a whole new thing that has begun in my lifetime, called Silviculture, give this a look see and stop squealing about logging. Sure, clearcuts may be ugly for a while, but they are actually beneficial to wildlife, and in time they grow, and the cut is fresh and healthy. Old growth has it's place, and no, I certainly am not in favour of cutting down all the trees, but, you people in your saving the trees have gone just a little too far, and caused forests to be destroyed through your save the tree crap!
  I grew up in an area that had many old mines. Yes, I am aware of tailings ponds, and the yuck, and poisons that were left in the past. However, get a grip, times have changed, experience and science have regulated things to the max. There are rules that must be followed. Regulations for environmental and employee safety are harsh, and that's a good thing. Because the mistakes of the past will not be repeated, and progress will continue, and generations in the future will profit from what resources are abundant in the small communities that rely on those things that city people find repulsive and abusive to "nature".
   I have always felt that those in the big glass and steel buildings in the city, who make their living with every single convenience in life, Wal-Mart's(LOL) fine dining, high end clothing stores, transit, concerts, paved roads, fancy hospitals, etc etc. do so, simply because in the back ground, Joe Blow is drilling a well, hauling coal, and digging for diamonds, without all the perks. There would be no city, without the resources!!!
  However...I also believe that we must treat our resources correctly. We must protect our land, and our people. I read about the practices in China, I am shocked at what they do to rape their country. I am disgusted at how their workers are abused. I , in truth, have always wondered where the heck Green Peace is, when it comes to the practices that seem to go unnoticed by the rest of the world. These people do not follow any regulations, they simply rip anything and everything they can from the earth. Hey, they thrive on plastic, put it into everything, even dog food! Oh, yeah, lets import lead painted toys from them. Really, a country that blatantly has no rules, and we sit quietly allowing them to do as they please.
  Now...it appears Mr. Harper thinks that we should welcome them with open arms into our country, to allow them to do business they way they want. He is signing a 31 yr. contract with them, giving them rights that Canadian companies do not have. Regulations will be tweaked to accommodate their wishes, they will not have to follow the same rules. WTF is this???? Folks this is happening now. I did not believe it, until I went searching. Your Prime Minister (yes, I voted for him) has been doing back room deals, and is about to sign something that will change our way of life forever. It will change the way our land is treated, and our people.
  We are where the Aboriginals stood, generations ago.Sadly, we will all come to understand how those people felt, when the White man arrived. Our land is no longer going to belong to Canada, we are being sold out to the highest bidder.
  Wake up now, I am not sure how we can stop this, but, time is running out! I highly doubt tourism will be an option if this goes ahead.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Bone Us

Heehee, I know, pardon the pun on words. But tonight I feel the urge to speak about Moral, yet again. It appears my employer is a little upset with the production from my "sector". We are just not pulling the same weight as before. We are walking away when the work listed is done, and not there in case someone beckons and calls for us. We do not go looking for jobs that could keep us busy after the normal duties are accomplished. The schedule is looking pretty barren. It seems everyone has cut back on their availability. For the most part, we are avoiding any social interaction amongst other employees. For the first time ever, people are simply ensuring they do their required 2 weekends, and just the bare minimum besides. We are doing what needs to be done.
   We have in the past gotten into trouble when work has been completed and some have been observed by the employer doing nothing, and getting paid. This has always been a no no, we have had lay offs because of this before. Suddenly the issue changes, the complaint is that no one is there after a specific time, when a last minute job arises. So, what is it to be, someone sitting about, perhaps cutting up rags, waiting just in case someone decides they need housekeeping after the regular duties have been completed, watching their back, because they are costing money, and doing diddly? It is no wonder we are all confused.
  A couple of us have been going in very early, we started this when we had rooms that were empty only for a small window between shifts. This was done to keep the guest happy, and it appears the employer simply turned a blind eye. She didn't get any complaints, and in time, she would  make a note that we were to whip in immediately and do a room at this early hour. We made things very convenient, however, we certainly did not get anything extra in return.
  The other day, the issue of moral was brought to the employers attention. She was informed that there is no incentive, perhaps a raise would boost moral? NOT EVER!!! It appears this was not going to happen, no one in  housekeeping was about to get a raise.
   Hello...so, we picked up the slack, we work every single day, sometimes 2 doing the work of 4, insane physical work loads, laundry, packing, dealing with customers who check out at various times, and check in whenever they show up. We have crew changes, 3 to a unit out of the blue, we work out doors in -40 temps, or in the blazing heat, moving from one area to the next. For almost 2 years the employer has seen her business full, without a thought as to how this was affecting her employees.
  When your employer does not consider her employees as people who have families, and lives, because her world revolves around her business, and in her mind, we should all devote ourselves to what she had decided is her world, you have a problem. She has to realize that this is just a job to us. She does not have the right to question why we feel the urge to cut back to deal with personal issues. If she does not like us cutting back on days, well...she has a choice, make it mandatory to work a set amount of days, or we are fired. I expect she is well aware, she will lose absolutely every single employee if she sets this rule.
  But when she states that she is not going to even consider a raise for anyone in this section, she is kicking every last one of us in the head.
  Then she comes up with another plan, "what about a bonus system"?
  Helllllooo. we did not get a bonus when we worked our butts off day after day, short staffed. What would we have to do to get this supposed bonus? I do not have anything more to offer. I am tired of giving all I've got, for nothing but my pay determined by the minute I arrive to the minute I leave. I do not like the fact that our positions are the only ones that do not get paid overtime if we work over 40 hours a week. I do not like the fact that we are the only ones (besides maintenance) that must work outside, no matter what the weather. I do not like the fact that we are the only ones that must clock in and out for our lunch. Now we are also the only ones that cannot expect a raise!! But...there is that Bonus......
  Who is going to decide who gets the bonus? Will it be my buddy who is our "boss"? Hummm...Well that would mean she would have to suggest herself, unless someone did more than her. Come on!!! This is an insult. The bonus should have been given time and time again. It is rude to think of dangling a carrot to try and wring more work out of us.
   We are husks. We have been used up for years, with absolutely no reward, and now when we are at the point that we perform like trained seals, just go in, do what is on the list, and crawl home, we get a list of what we are no longer giving. This was all given in the past, with the hope that it would be recognized, and appreciated. The lack of acknowledgement went on far too long, hope was lost, the urge to excel left the moment we clued in that we were giving and not receiving. To have the words spoken that a raise was not going to happen, just assured all that there was no reason to give more than we absolutely have to.
  A bonus is something that is a promise. It is not an acknowledgement of what we have done, it is simply a way to get us to do more, for a chance at the brass ring. Nope, I think a bonus will just cause another problem. When one person gets it at the end of the month, for something they did, someone else is simply going to be upset because they stepped up to the plate as well, and did not receive acknowledgement. This is not the type of job that will work well with a bonus system. Hey, if Joe Blow does something wonderful at the beginning of a month, why on earth is another going to attempt to out do them? From my personal perspective, this idea is insane! It is only going to cause bad feelings amongst the staff.  Maybe if she is lucky, she will get little Missy do-gooder who gets this bonus every single time, because everyone else has just decided to just say "screw-it".
  I am afraid that this has just disappointed the whole crew. We know there is no hope to make up for all the work that we have been forced to perform in the past, there is nothing in our future, besides this possible bonus. So...those who make whatever amount a minute, know that amount will never change, unless we luck out and get the big Bone Us!!!

Thursday 11 October 2012

I Don't give a S#it

Well, hello Darlings!!! I have had a very enlightening day. Today I realized that, my problem is simple. I no longer give a Sh*t about my workplace. I am hoping this makes my life easier, because, up until this point, I have been a total idiot, thinking I am responsible to ensure my side of the business runs properly.
  Oh, I am not the worse idiot, in regards to making the job my whole frigging life. That title goes to my partner in crime. I simply allowed myself to get sucked into her way of thinking. She is my friend, and I figured it was best just to go along with her, and support her, because, otherwise, she would have carried the whole bloody load herself, and she did, many times.
  Who on earth gives up their whole life for a job that entails scrubbing toilets? Hah! There have been more than just the two idiots we speak of. One has left the fold. She did not leave without damage, and she certainly did not get a prize for devotion. We watched her disappear before our very eyes.
   What the h-ll is wrong with us? This is not a career, it is cleaning 101. In my employers eyes, we are dispensable, a dime a dozen. We are the bottom of the Totem. We are acknowledged only when a little more blood is required from the stone. If we claim we cannot squeeze the stone hard enough, we get attitude, and somehow, we find a way to manage. For crying out loud!! Why have we done this?
  Today, someone summed it up perfectly. there is absolutely no moral in our workplace. It is not a matter of poor moral, there just isn't any at all. It is a job that each day, we trudge into, no one wants to be there, absolutely no one. It is like a hamster wheel, same crap, day after day, and then we turn around, and do the same again the next day. To have a pleasant surprise once in awhile, might brighten the darkness, somewhat, but I doubt that will help at this point.
  How can we boost the moral? I really can't think of anything that will work. We have been used up so badly, with no incentive, for so long, that I don't even think a raise would help. The business has become so overworked, in our area, and there has been no change for the past 8 years, except the work load increasing 3 fold. Since the increase, we have not seen a single raise! When you have folks who work for 2 years, looking at those who have been there 8-9 years, who go in early, step up to the plate, even at the end of the day, give up days off, work like banshees, and not receiving a single penny extra, what does that say to them? Hey, I understand!! Why would they go the extra mile when it is obvious there is nothing in it for them?
  I am NOT in business management. But...even I see why others simply go in, do what they must, and zip out the door without batting an eye. I see why they moan and groan when they have to do an area they don't like. The sad part about this is, someone has to do this area. We try and be fair, the two old bats will take the forbidden area, just so we don't have to listen to the complaining. But, it is clear, we get no reward for this, besides pulling out the usual back muscle, and suffering for days or weeks, while the others look at us with pitying eyes.
  Yesterday was when my eyes opened, and I saw everything clearly. We have had someone working with us for a month or more. I think in that time, she has worked a total of about 14 days. She spent part of this time working in tandem with my buddy, which is usual. A person learns what is expected, by following the example of the most anal housekeeper, LOL. Yesterday she was asked to do a particular area, and instantly she started whining, she didn't want to have to do certain things, she just finished doing so much. FML!! I was speechless. I watched the switch flick with my friend. Perhaps the timing was at the utter peak of BAD, but I simply waited to see what spewed out of one of the calmest, most patient person's mouth. Oh she did well, she told the person they could just go home, and we would finish off. HOLA, I was proud of her. I had felt the overwhelming urge to lash out with a slap.
   However, at that moment, I realized, why the H-LL should we do the work of others, after doing our own share? Nope, sick and tired of this crap! Not going to save my employer another wage, just because a co-worker refuses to do their share. The undone shares will just have to sit. I sincerely hope my friend can stop for a moment, and remember the other person who gave their all for this company, and find the strength to put her foot down.
  I hope that somehow I can figure out a way to return Housekeeping to a place where there is laughter and consideration, but apparently laughter is not acceptable in our job, so moral is a very unlikely possibility.Guess, we will just have to stick with the "Don't give a s*it".

Wednesday 10 October 2012

If it's Yellow, let it Mellow

I can remember the first time I read that. My oldest (32) brought a paper home from elementary school, informing us, as a family, how to be environmentally friendly. Kiss my big fat bum!!! I am sorry, I do not accept others leaving their yellow mellowing in the toilet, until ,unsuspecting me, comes along, in a huge hurry to piddle (always a hurry), sit down, begin the procedure, and have someone's mellowing urine splash back up to hit my buttocks.
  When I grew up, I was taught to flush (yes, we HAD flush toilets then). In fact, if I had not taken the time to do so, I would be punished. Suddenly, as usual, everything I managed to actually retain in my itty bitty memory bank, has become redundant. I feel sorry for kids now, when I was learning, it was so easy, all of it went down the toilet immediately. Then some bright A$$ decided that only Brown went down. Yep, I know that if I went into a public washroom, and found a toilet filled to the rim, with only yellow, I would certainly say to myself" That is so wonderful, everyone is saving the environment"! Then sit down with my butt cheeks soaking in something very mellow, and add my bit for a greener (Yellower?) world.
  When people come out with this crap (flush brown down) they drive me batty. There are a million things folks can do that will make far more of an impact on the green side of things, peeing just is not one to spend a whole whack of time and money on.
  Now, that said, I suspect we have a real Green Peacer staying at the hotel. Why would I suspect this, you ask? Well, today my buddy went off to clean one of the town houses. These have large groups of men staying in their own bedrooms. The rooms are sparsely furnished, a night table lamp, and a plastic (yikes) garbage can with a plastic (yikes) bag in it. Oh, yeah, they have a bed, too. So today, was the weekly, floors washed, dusting, and clean bedding. Over the years, we have become very proficient at removing the bags from the garbage, they are quickly whipped out as we dust, with the other hand. Today, we learned a lesson...Do not assume that all bags contain only garbage. This person was obviously a Mellow expert. He had peed in the garbage bag!!! Hellloooo..Only about 30 steps away is a flush toilet, there is a second toilet in the basement. I can understand a 9 month pregnant woman perhaps not being able to make those 30 steps, or a 3 year old child, but...a grown middle aged man???
  I suppose the one thing about my job is, you are always learning. I remember my Mom working as a school janitor in an elementary school. She had one kid who insisted on using the metal garbage can in the boy's washroom to pee. That was annoying, and the kid was caught and requested to use the proper facilities. Do you think this might be that kid, all grown up, and still environmentally friendly?

Tuesday 9 October 2012

I got Stoned and I Missed It!!!

So, just to show you, I am less than perfect, I will admit that that frigging Nurse Ratchet, went on one of her blitz'es the other night, and decided a strip I had done, did not meet her extremely high standards. Let me say, before admitting my faults, this bag of poop, used to do the same job as me. Well, sort of....She was in our work area, she would show up, usually 1/2 an hour after my buddy and I, and then besides, hide out most of the day, she would somehow sign herself as working far longer than we did. In fact, my buddy and I were once the only two people working a holiday, and lo and behold, come the day the time sheets went into the office, this piece of work, marked herself as working that day, and...longer than we did!! We had hopes that when she zoomed up to the higher echelon, she would remember exactly how bloody hard we worked, but, those memories did not last the moment she stepped into the doorway. I have seen her work, with a single bottle of windex and a rag, and whip through rooms at the speed of light. She was sloppy, but she was smarter than us. She did 1/2 the work, and took all the credit, except when it came to a complaint, those were always the fault of someone else.
  Now this nasty person has all the time in the world to stick her nose into all aspects of the place. Guess the other night, she decided to spend some time on the phone (one of her usual habits) in the suite I had cleaned. I admit, I did not do a perfect job. I did not fluff the couch pillows properly, I did not dust the backs of the chairs, and I left a stupid barbie ice cube tray out (mainly because I did not know what to do with it, we have a frigging ice machine in the lobby)on top of a microwave that was placed on top of a fridge, that was placed on top of a table.Oh, and it appears while she sat, she noticed some cobwebs. I am not too sure where the cobwebs were, as the room has very little lighting, like most rooms, you need a flashlight to find the damn sink! So..this morning I find a note, she took the room off the books, not clean enough to rent!!! Honest to goodness!!! A room with a hole in the wall, or the smell of rot that will knock your socks off, or even a room with a window that leaks down the wall, are acceptable, but...not an ice cube tray (which ended up in the garbage) un-fluffed pillows, and invisible cobwebs.
  I spent my time cleaning that room, choking on the pot fumes coming from the adjacent suite. I will once again , say, I am NOT A PRUDE!! However, this is my workplace. There are guests who must pass random drug tests, staying in this hotel. Hey, if Joe Blow wants to smoke a joint, go for it. But, these folks started inhaling at 8AM and continued all bloody day long. I have a hard enough time getting through my day normally, but lets just add a bag of weed to that, and I am ready to take a nap, after raiding the kitchen. Hey, it is not like the office can't smell this sh*t, a person entering the building gets hit by the fumes. I am suppose to find the frigging cobwebs, when all I can think of is a Mars bar and a bag of chips?
  If my employer feels the customer has the right to indulge in whatever suits their fancy, and I am suppose to pretend this does not bother me, then send in the Nurse, she can damn well sit in there, munchie free, and suck those damn cobwebs up her butt!!!
  BTW, I found a whole whack of other things I missed in that room, when I went back in without the pot. She should have got off her butt and had a closer look. Guess the next time I am sent to strip that room, and the fog is thick, I will simply tell them I am not capable of doing a good job while stoned!!!

Sunday 7 October 2012

Feeling Guilty

Do you ever just want to slap yourself in the head? I have spent the past few days holding my hand back. I hate myself for being an idiot, and wish I could have a "normal" job like most people. You have, of course, realized my job is NOT normal.
   This time around, I pushed myself, and worked 7 days straight. I have to do this, in order to get a decent pay check. See, my honey's job now requires him to be away from home 12 days and then home for 5-6. Well, I may be old and grey, but my world still revolves around the man I love, so, when he is home, I want to spend time with him. I have tried working the full 12 days he does, not a good thing. I have to take at least one if not two off during this period. Then, of course, if I take the whole 6 off when he is home, I get a pretty shabby assed pay cheque. Oh, once I thought I had an extra days pay, because there was a Stat holiday, and as I work at what my employer states is "averaging" (not a damn clue what she means by this, it was the reason given that I never ever get OT, no matter if I have over 100 hours during a pay period) I counted that as a day I would be paid for. Hah!! Apparently I did not read the rule that stated I had to work 15 days the month previous. Hola, somehow there is always a way to screw me around.
  So, I pour over the calender each month, figuring a way to get the most pay, with enough time off to keep me semi-sane. My partner has finally reached a point that she has cut back. Remember, she is 6 years older than me,LOL. My daughter, well, she can manage the long clumps but this time, I needed her help at home, so, she booked off at the same time as me, and my buddy did as well. Add workers that are part-time and do not work weekends, add workers that do NOT show up, and you have a humungous mess. Got two poor individuals working the whole job alone.
  Hey, I've done it, I have even at a few times, been left holding the whole damn bag, myself. Remember, the place is full, all the outlying areas have guests that expect their beds made, and fresh towels. They don't give a rat's a$$ if my employer does not understand she is lacking the staff to cover the area. My employer doesn't give a rat's a$$ about anything, except ensuring she has every single room filled. This is what happens when the business owner has no concept of what it takes to run things properly. She will sympathize, and the next minute turn around, and complain that something was not done. She will drop added amounts of work onto the work load when she gets a sudden check out (at various times of the day) and immediately reserve the room for later that day. This is extremely depressing, and wears staff down. She is informed that for certain days, she is down to two staff, but that simply goes in one ear, and out the other.
  I know that the two co-workers stuck working the whole shebang, are faced with a terrible work load. I have been there too many times myself. I am aware they are worked to the bone, and sadly, there is no incentive for what they are doing. They will certainly not get a nice little bonus for carrying the whole job themselves, with the employer paying two people to do the work of 4 or 5. If they are lucky, they will get a "sorry" or a "thank you", but, mark my words, they will also get informed of some complaint. They will feel used up, and abused, Like my partner says, they will be chewed up by maggots, and left with nothing but bone.
  So, on the 3 days I have had off, I have spent part of the time feeling very guilty about leaving these two people holding the bag. I admit, 2 years ago, I would have simply erased my scheduled days off to help them cover things. My partner would have done the same. We would have worked our butts off, and made our loved ones  spend their days alone, all for the good of the hotel. However, we did this so many times, and got nothing in return for giving up our plans. We do not get raises, we do not get appreciation, we get the same garbage day after day. Add to this, the many times we have been left in the same position, no one stepped up and gave up their plans for us. We were idiots!!!
  I am so sorry that the two poor women have had to work like lunatics, I regret that things were dumped in their laps. I hold nothing against them, they are my co-workers, and we work together in a job, that is bizarre. I wish things were not like this, and hope that they understand, this was not personal. I did not set out to make their life miserable. They are simply enduring something my partner and I have had to do countless times, simply because our employer turns a blind eye to reality.
  If it makes them feel even a tiny bit better to know that I have been feeling guilt, which has not allowed me to enjoy my time off fully, so be it. But, it is likely next weekend, it will be myself left holding the bag, and I wonder if I will step up to the plate this time. In truth, I have told myself and others, I am no longer willing to do this, it is too hard on a body that has been abused as long as mine has. I refuse to cry at work, because I am worn out, and faced with overwhelming tasks. I am managing on the smaller pay cheques, and perhaps I can survive with even a few dollars less.
  I am getting a little better at ignoring the guilt, and if I try very hard, I think I can forget it completely. It is not my business, I have been put out to dry on more than one occasion by my employer, and they have not felt a pinch of guilt. If those who have suffered these past few days can understand, this is not something I wished on them. I can continue to find a way to accept this is not my life, and not my responsibility, and enjoy my well deserved days off, guilt free.

Bloody Pen

I remember, oh so very long ago, reading the statement "The Pen is mightier than the sword". Because I was certainly not the brightest student, I might not have understood this, back in the day, but the meaning is clear as day to me now.
  I know each time I sit down to bash the keyboard, I am putting words out there, for others to read and interpret. I also know that I speak my mind, and everything I put down, is my take on things, however, I disclose information that may cause another to stop and maybe look at things differently, simply because of what I wrote. I am aware that my "pen" is not likely to cause a war, or revolution (maybe a small uprising), but, I am able to comprehend, how a few words put on paper, by someone far more important than myself, can, in fact, change the world, far more than hacking away at someone with a sword.
  I have become a real Pen "Buckler" (just a twist on "Swashbuckler"). I stab away at anything that starts me itching. Something rubs me the wrong way, down I sit, and start pecking, and then when I feel I have spewed to my heart's content, I hit the send button. Don't think my ranting is limited to the blog, oh no...I can no longer simply accept what I feel is poor service from a company, I must e-mail them my thoughts, and voice my intentions.
  How many of you feel that customer service has become a joke? Many businesses seem to feel that they can simply sell you a product, and no matter how shoddy it is when you receive it, you should just shut up and suck it up. I wonder when this happened. Remember when if you went grocery shopping, and discovered when you opened your paper bag, you had maybe mold on the package of cheese, off you went back to the store, and without question, they apologized, and replaced the cheese? Dented cans were discounted, day old bread was set to the side and cheap, meat was cut and wrapped to your specifications, and tied with a little string for your convenience.
  If you bought a high end item, like a fridge or stove, you would call the store if something broke, and they would explain what was wrong, and send you the piece to fix it. Warranties were for years, you did not receive a phone call a month after purchase, attempting to sell you an extended warranty that took over after the 365 days or sometimes 3 months, of the original warranty life. Truth be told, these offers do not make a purchaser feel very good about their investment.Sadly, many times you should have bought that warranty, because items no longer last 15-20 years, they start to fall apart moments after entering your home.
  Plastic is my enemy. I hate the stuff!! It is pretty much what "made in China" used to mean when I was young. Plastic may not break down biologically, however, it breaks into pieces that instantly cause things to stop working. Then to replace the plastic piece, you must first wait a lifetime, and second, purchase a tool to use with the tiny piece of crap to fix the big piece of crap.
  Why am I on this rant, you ask? Well, I just purchased 3 large kitchen appliances. I paid as much for them, as my first car! I had to drive to another city to pick them up, haul them home, and open the boxes, only to find a huge dent on one appliance. I did as I was told, called the store first thing in the morning to explain my problem. We were told to drive out to the store, and the matter would be straightened out. Off we went, we had pictures of the dent, and merrily thought this was going to be easy, since they "Wanted" us to come in. Hah! The customer service person did not even want to see the pictures, she simply asked us if the dent was visible when the appliance was put in place. Helllllooooo, what the heck did that matter? The dent was there, and I knew it, I didn't want to hide it, I certainly didn't order a dent! She informed us that all she would do was give us a $75 store credit. I knew that shouting at this woman was useless, this was one time I simply walked out of the store, and let my honey deal with the matter. It was clear although there were plenty of customers milling about, this woman was not going to change her mind if I started ranting. I wonder, if she had bought a new car, found a big dent under the wheel well, if she would simply pay the full price, knowing the next person was going to get a dent free  car for the same price?
  What did I do? Well, I got out my "pen" and wrote her head office. I told them I would NOT buy a single thing from them ever again. I also told them they were getting my appliance back, although I would now have to pay for a trip back, and then wait another 2 weeks for a replacement. Will they care? Ahhh..it's not likely, but, I will get my dent free appliance, and I have my bloody pen poised to slash away at tiny little "bricks" all over the country.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Dictatorship

I have sat down to blog, many times recently, but...I just can't seem to natter on about one thing in particular.I have something in my craw today, and I have the overwhelming urge to spew.
  Yesterday I received a lovely colourful pamphlet from my town's District office. Oh my, what a surprise!!!Inside was the message that out of the blue, my Town Council had decided that our tiny community was suddenly going to have to start paying monthly for their water usage. O.K. all you folks in the big city likely do this already, however, you also have the pleasure of many amenities provided by your local City Council. We have F*ck all!!
  Where I live, the cost of living is extreme. A gallon of milk at the local grocery store will set you back $8, a loaf of their "bakery bread" sells for $2.89, haven't counted the slices in these little loaves, but, figure there are about 18, you do the math. If you have a pet, take out a loan...every single bag of cat food (small ones) costs 9.94, dog food, well, needless to say, I buy that either, at the local convenience store (cheaper) or out of town. That's the food....Then we have heat, just imagine, a winter that starts at the beginning of October, and ends sometimes in May. Winter temperatures hover between -5 and -30, more of the -30 (with added wind chill). We have short daylight hours during this time, so...lights must be used. That computes to  very high natural gas, and Hydro bills. No bus service, or Taxi in our town, therefore you must rely on your own vehicle...ooops lots of Deer and Moose collisions, ICBC costs much higher than the City. Onto fuel prices..not sure why, in the middle of Oil and Gas resources, we pay higher fuel costs than Vancouver with all their Transit taxes, etc.
  So what does our town offer to offset the nasty part of living in Nowhere B.C.? Ahhh..we have a swimming pool that some bright bulb decided would be an outdoor pool. That is open from the May long weekend, to the September long weekend. Then we have hockey, and curling(yep, winter stuff, and consisting of folks who love to drive all over the north in blinding snow storms for the enjoyment of their children).
  We have a couple of sidewalks, we have amazing flowers that line these said sidewalks, we have pots of plants hanging all of hell's 1/2 acre, we have boat launches (of course, most of these are on Hydro land, and they can close them down when the urge hits them). We have No Idle zones, all about, set by folks who apparently have never had issues at -40 with their vehicles. We have a new by-law that no one can offer RV's a place to set up when all the local campsites are full. Oh, our District run campgrounds, well, there is another ZIT. Someone decided that no one could camp longer than 5 or 7 days (not sure which one) at any site. Hellooooo..WTF? They pay by the day (unless they have a local pass) does it really matter how many days they have to pay,? Apparently they have to pack up and move to another site, can't understand this insanity!
  This is by far the most unwelcoming town I have ever spent time in. It is centered around one "company" which is also part of our Provincial government. As a tax payer, I am required to pay property taxes, this "company" does not pay property taxes, they, instead, have decided a specific amount that they will grant the town each year (well below the amount they indeed should pay for taxes). They get services from our town, but unlike the ordianry person, don't have to pay. I also have to pay Water and Sewer various times a year. Until recently the water that we were supplied, was so nasty, I would go through small appliances every few months, because the mineral buildup would destroy a coffee pot that quickly.
  We do NOT have a local Dr. we have visiting ones that flitter through part of the week, but these simply drive into town in the morning, and drive away at the end of the day. We cannot even get a cut stitched at the local Clinic if the Dr. is not in, therefore, anything after the Dr. leaves, must require a drive (with the high fuel prices) to one of the neighboring areas 45 minutes away. Dentist, that means a trip out of town, optometrist, trip out of town, clothing, trip out of town, school supplies, trip out of town, sick pet, trip out of town (do not idle).
  Now I receive this fabulous pamphlet. The words that raised the hairs on the back of my neck were..IT IS MANDATORY...to call the company to arrange a time for them to enter my home, to install this meter, within 2 weeks, so that I can dig deeper into my pocket every month to now pay a second time for water!!!
   I suppose in truth, I am partly to blame for this insanity, I did NOT vote in the last Council election. I could not bring myself to waste the time to go to the polling station to pick through names of people who had promised all sort of things they did not deliver, previously. I spent many nights for years going to the Council meetings, and would sit in my chair rolling my eyes at the stupidity , same crap over and over. Then they started their IN-CAMERA meetings. Hello, these are the secret ones behind closed doors, that someone decided are not for the public ear. Whoa, every single Council meeting has one of these attached to it. I just wonder, for people who are voted in to do what is in the best interest, or even more, what the blasted Public wishes, they have far too many private get togethers in the back room. I have lost faith in anything remotely connected to government, and this town reeks of government.
  Ah, you say, why don't I run for office? HAH!!! If someone who is really not considered a "local" (only been here 9 years, not connected to the aforesaid "company" even attempted to run, they would be lucky to get a few measly votes from those few friends they have. You MUST be connected!! Plus, I am sure if by some incredible fluke, I did get voted in, I would certainly be requested to leave quickly, because I simply cannot abide by stupidity!! I (if you haven't noticed, yet) tend to open my mouth, and vomit my take on things. I have managed to make people cry when I have had to participate in group organizations, not on purpose, but, just because when I start on a rant, I become very verbal (surprise). I am sick and tired of legalize. Our lives have become so ruled and regulated by political correctness, it is anal. Nothing gets done quickly, or even at all, simply because the lawyers and government plop so much red tape, which costs so much each layer you must peel off. Only pennies are left once the bureaucrats get their piece of the pie.
  It is clear the Dictators are not only in our provincial Liberal government, we now have them in our dinky little communities, doing what they think is BEST for us. My years of needing a babysitter, or even a parent, are far behind me.
  We need someone to step into our world now, someone who can just erase all the garbage that we have allowed those in power to state is law. We need someone who can take all the massive tax dollars our government has in their coffers, and tear off the blasted red tape, to allow the money to flow directly where it is needed. We need to make "companies" like the one that rules the town I live in, stop their waste, we don't need a modular home set up in the middle of Vancouver to showcase how much electricity is used, we don't need "companies" to spend mega bucks on a publicity tour to shove their reasoning for massive spending down our throats. We don't need politicians spinning fantasy, when the reality is slapping us in the face. Save the commercials.
  The only thing that should be MANDATORY, is for all governments, no matter how small, to stop screwing the tax paying public, and spend our money with care. I am fed up with continual money grabs, and in truth, I will be paying for water 3 times, as, the stuff that comes out of my tap is not something I want to drink, so I have to buy bottled.
  Wow, what a concept, 40 years ago, if someone had told me that one day, I would be paying for water, I would have died laughing. Like everything else, things were better and cheaper in the old days, even government!