Favourite Books

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

Friday 30 March 2012

Fleas????

Hey, I am home early again!! I am blown away, I think it may just happen tomorrow as well, and I can certainly handle that!!
  Now, just because my day went fairly smoothly, don't think there wasn't stuff that ticked my butt...cuz, of course there was!
  I think I have mentioned that my workplace is not the Hilton, right? Nothing fancy, in fact, it is somewhat rundown (O.K. some of it is not pretty), but, it is damn clean!! Today someone asked when they checked in, if the place had fleas!!! Hey, just because someone is not pretty, it doesn't mean they are dumb as a stick, same goes for ugly hotels. We have never, in all the time I have worked, experienced a flea issue. We do have these buglies that appear every single year, that we call "crunch" beetles. There is nothing we can do to combat these beetles, they are in many homes in town, and it is not because of cleanliness. Oh, and we get ants. Ants are an enormous problem in this area. I have never lived someplace with as many ant hills as this town, therefore, the sight of an ant, is nothing unusual, and we will do the same thing the average homeowner does, to get rid of that problem. I can't fathom why I was so offended when I heard this, as I will honestly state, when I first moved here, I actually thought one of the outlying areas I now clean, was  condemned.
 Yep, when I first started working there, I was shocked when my friend drove me up to the building. I really did think it was such an old wreck of shacks, it had to be empty. Silly me!!That building has some major history behind it, I have heard stories of Hookers having lineups to the rooms, during the Hay day, heehee, I don't know, if we had a hooker in there now, she would likely be a pretty cheap one. I also don't think the "porch" could hold a lineup. 
  What else irritated me today? Oh, apparently we had some sort of quality control check...Huh??Just had the BC accommodations guy there, and there was a tiny issue of him finding a piece of cardboard under a bed, but no complaints over cleanliness. There are a million things that should be dealt with. Yes, we have the Vacuum princess, but her complaints should go in one ear and out the other, that one will never be satisfied. We have had the odd complaint when a room is missed, and that does not happen very often, but, like any hotel, if someone spends enough time, they will find something.
  I will say, just down the road from our tacky, shabby hotel, is a brand new modern hotel. It has a lovely fireplace in the lobby, a paved parking lot, and a long list of complaints. They just lost their sign, because they did not meet quality standards, (or so I heard).
  I will also say, 20 years ago, when times were real tough, and my Honey and I suddenly got stuck away from home, we headed to the cheapest motel. We had often laughed about how it looked like a wind would blow it down, but, we needed a place we could afford, and upon entering our room, we were amazed. It was old, and it was shabby, the toilet rocked when you sat on it, but...it was scrubbed clean.
 So, take it from me, never judge a hotel by it's cover, it's what's under the covers that counts.

Thursday 29 March 2012

Aggravated Blogger

O.K. It is now clear to me, I need aggravation to motivate me to blog. I have attempted 3 times to write today, with no luck. Is it possible I sit here without a single nerve tingling? Nope, not on your life, always snapping at least one nerve, but today, I have more left than usual.
  It was, a pretty darn good day!! I know, I never ever expected to actually admit this, but today was such an amazing surprise, I am possibly still in shock. Our staff doubled today!! O.K. not much of a stretch to double a staff of 4,lol, but it was so unexpected, and the saddest part, is, it is not likely to continue. I suppose I could be thankful that I will have a recent good day to think back on, and I will be, for a moment. How simple, an otherwise physically wearing job, can become a piece of cake, with added help. It was actually difficult to pace myself to the ease of my day, I was done an hour early!! Oh please, let this continue for a few more days, at least. The whole atmosphere changed. We often joke, but today, we took the time to laugh together. I could see some of our faces lighten, and we stood taller, just that weight of having to run ragged for 7 hours lifted off of us, changed personalities.
  Oh, I admit, I am the grouch. I have a terrible habit of looking at things as a glass 1/2 empty, not like my counterpart, who is so damn positive, everything is 1/2 full. You all know people like her, always like the  song, "Don't worry, be happy". I have tried every which way I can think to rip the happy out of her, and failed. It actually frightens me when I think I am getting close to destroying her cheer, because, unlike myself, who has learned to thrive on dismal, she would be destroyed, and we would all suffer. I joke that she is actually the mean one, but it is a semi-joke, if she lost her 1/2 full attitude, and joined my dark side, she would likely put me to shame. I work very hard to be miserable, it is not always easy (although this job helps a great deal). To be miserable and make others laugh, is very difficult. I suppose carrying the black cloud everywhere I go, demands I offer some sort of rebate to those who must spend so much time around the constant storm, so I try and throw out a few sarcastic remarks, designed to make others laugh.
   I am still in a daze, and just can't think of anything to spew about. I am sure that by tomorrow something will occur, but I have to admit, the afterglow of a good day, is extremely enjoyable!

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Clean Men

Well....I have been having a difficult time lately, as you saw from yesterday's drivel, had hoped today would be filled with sunshine and lollipops, but, surprise, it wasn't. If I was to write all the crapola that is whirling about in my brain right now, I would likely be ostracized and quite possibly fired, so I had best settle on something that is acceptable. I have been telling myself, blogging is a wonderful release from a ton of stuff that used to rot away inside, but, it has it's limits, and perhaps I will have to be like a fellow blogger, and consider putting the finer stuff off on a sideline, and someday, with a pseudonym, tossing it out as a book,lol.
  So, lets see, what is safe? How about, Clean Men? Yes, as most married, cohabiting, mothers,and maybe, girlfriends know, guys can be slobs. Oh, I remember my beloved when we first met, he had the cleanest area in the house he shared with about 3 other guys. I was amazed, his socks were all neatly put in one area, I think his bed was even nicely made. I thought to myself, this was perfect, a man who cleaned. Hah! Oh, now, don't get all antsy, Honey Bunny, I admit, there are times when you will get a rush of whatever, and I will arrive home to find things neat and tidy, but usually after I have gone off on a rant, about having to do it all myself. Not sure what happens when they move into the little nest, but, suddenly he is taking one sock off while in a chair, and the other finds it way under the bed. As to the bed, well, somehow that became my job. Dishes, I suppose while I was a full time Mom, I had the ability to accept this as my chore, but even when I went back to work, it was 90% my duty. I have admitted to all of you, I am not Suzy Homemaker, but I dream of a spotless home. I would try to have things to the standard I set (in my dreamworld) and always, I would go on a rampage, because it just never was accomplished.When I had weekends off, I would clean all day Saturday, then Sunday, I would appease my guilt by trying to make a wonderful supper, and head back to work on Monday, with dirty dishes, and a messy kitchen, that would remain as such, until the next day off. In the dreamworld, my beloved, and my amazing children would get together and clean everything up, so I didn't have to waste a day off doing it, again, Hah!! But, my Honey has a secret. He really and truly is one of those Clean men.
  Clean men only materialize when they are away from their women. Yep, I know this for a fact. I have gone to visit Honey Bunny many times when he has had to live away from home, and I am on edge, because his place is so damn clean! I worry about messing stuff up!! He always shares a place with someone else, who is apparently just as clean as he is. There are NO dirty dishes, bathtub is wiped clean after each shower, drawers are organized, cupboards are neat and tidy, and not a single sock is laying in the open! Yep, he also cooks, and takes the time to put every single thing away afterwards.
  We get these Clean men in the hotel, and sometimes their women come, and if I run into these women, I will state how wonderfully clean their husbands are, and how the staff appreciates this, and how lucky she is to have such a Clean man. Hah!!!! She will tell me this is not the same man she has at home, and I will understand.
  I suppose , these Clean Men , are much like I am with shaving my legs. Hey, been with this wonderful man of mine for well over 26 years, and I figure a couple of scratches from the pig bristles on my ham hocks hasn't caused him to leave yet, so I will use the razor time for something I enjoy far more. They have dropped their socks about their homes, and are still loved and tolerated, so no need to waste cleaning time at home.
  I wonder, if I had to share a house with another woman, would I shave my legs????

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Age inappropriate Jobs

O.K. I know, it was only days ago, I was bragging how wonderful I felt finishing a a day of housekeeping, with just my buddy and myself. Hah! I was apparently running on adrenaline, and this old worn out sack of bones did not clue into the fact that it is not 30 something, anymore, or even 40 something! Some jobs are simply age inappropriate.
  Come on, imagine a 56 year old stripper.....I suppose if she had been doing that job for about 35 years, and saved all her tips from her 20's to get some serious plastic surgery, and some joint replacements, it could happen. How about a 56 year old hand model, yuck!!! Oh, I know, I see Diane Keaton advertising for some amazing makeup that apparently fills in all cracks and crevices , but she is not the" norm", right? How about swimsuit illustrated? Face it, there comes a time, when certain jobs are beyond age limits.
 I have tried to convince myself this is excellent exercise, and it does me good to get moving, but...now I wonder. Today I seem to have run out of energy. I drank coffee, nothing, I ate some dessert, still nothing, I tried some potato chips, as they are my miracle food, but, not this time. I just hit that brick wall, pushed myself to the limit, and there is no emergency supply of gumption to tap into. That is something that must come with old age, the loss of that back-up supply you could use, if needed. It must disappear with bone density?
  Each day, I check my To-Do list, and although some mornings, it seems daunting, I am confident I can manage. Today was such a day, just one building, and one weekly in another, looked do able. I may have made a mistake, worked like an idiot for the first 4 hours, to ensure I gave myself time, but when lunch arrived, I could barely trudge my way to my car for the drive home. Going back after the toast and raspberry dessert, was agony. My brain (yes it still works) kept saying, "just lay down and have a short nap", HOLA!! I have reached napping age!!!!However, apparently there is no siesta time in British Columbia, so...back I went. I didn't even have the energy to chant how much I hate my job (and that is very bad).
  I am beginning to think that I am almost at the brink of being too old to clean hotel rooms. I know, my friend is older than me, and I keep thinking, if she can still do this, I have a few more years left in me, I should manage till 62, right? But, as I have stated before, she is much skinnier, and less wrinkled, so perhaps she is more like Diane Keaton, than I am?
  I think I should check into a new job, like Gypsy Fortune teller, they are all wrinkled, and hunched over. I could do that, without any makeup, plus, I would get to wear great big rings on my non-hand model hands. The only problem is, they are always gazing into crystal balls, and I really don't like looking at myself in the mirror every morning, let alone staring at my reflection all day!
 I suppose I will give housekeeping another try, tomorrow. There are 4 more days left in this pay period, I should at least attempt to finish off the month. Then, there will be the next pay period, which doesn't end until the 15th, so ...I will remain on the Hamster wheel of life, until I win the lottery, or I am put out to pasture by all the young people clambering for my job.

Monday 26 March 2012

High Maintenance

Lord love us!! There are times when I get a real hate on for a guest. Most of the time, I have no clue what they look like, or even if they are really snots, but, sometimes, guests become irritants. As I stated, before, we have some messy guys, but we overlook the odd rotting bag of potatoes (which we throw out) or laundry strewn floor, simply because we know the poor guy has been working non-stop for months, and when we do run into him, he never asks for anything, except, perhaps if we can throw a load in our laundry for him, and he does pay for this. These rooms usually take a fair amount of time to clean, but there are never any calls to the office, because we forgot a face cloth, or nasty notes left on the coffee table because the bedspread has crumbs on it.
  However, we have the guests from hell once in awhile, and the latest is a real winner, extreme high maintenance!!! This is a couple, they have a dog, which remains in their room while they work. They are the ones with the freaking air freshener addiction. We have the pleasure of a new one, much like the one on the toilet, that pishes stink in our face while cleaning the toilet. (BTW, we no longer clean her toilet bowl, she has shoved some blue thing in there, and we are not about to add our smoking stuff to the blue, in case we suddenly become fairy princesses  when the two mix and envelope us in cloud). The new stinker is on top of the microwave stand, and like it's twin, is set to go off with movement, so once you start to wipe the microwave off, Bazinga, suddenly sucking back perfume. 
  So, anyhow, these are the folks who we returned all the dope and fixings to, right(the" Snears Inspector mystery")? Thought they might just sort of tone things down, Housekeeping could have ratted them out, if they wanted, but our motto remains the same, "What happens in the hotel, stays in the hotel" except, of course my subtle blogs,lol.But no, she has not changed a bit, as time goes on, she gets progressively more needy.
  Anyhow, we also have (because we love puppies)started  taking this doggie out each day when we clean , thought this might be appreciated (nope). This winner leaves a note every 2 days, wanting her bedding changed, she wants everything changed, sheets, blanket and spread, and you already know our usual routine on this matter. We have found puke, blood, and spilled food on days the note is not left, so often everything is changed daily.. She has called the office because her carpet was not vacuumed, she has , in a drugged stupor gone after housekeeping to clean the corners in her bathroom, she has candles that have tipped onto the carpet, requiring a person (me) to sit on the floor and iron the wax up onto brown paper. They leave everything from skittles to twizzlers in the bed, which is also the favourite resting place for the puppy.
  Yesterday when there were only 2 staff, she went off to complain once again about her carpet not getting vacuumed. You would think that those running the show, would simply explain that staff was at a bare minimum, and she would have to wait till the next day, but no, one of the owners was actually told she had better get in there and do the job. Staff had done this, when they were confronted by the office, and informed the owner, who upon entering the room, understood immediately that the bedroom had not been done, simply because there was no visible carpet, it was buried under dirty clothes. Come on!! Would you invite a stranger into your place to complain about the housekeepers when you live in a sty? What are these people missing? Ooops, there it is again, Common Sense!!!
  I will manage to control my "Hate on" , because I have been doing some serious thinking ....I recently saw an Ad where the housekeeper used someone's toothbrush to scrub that poo glue, could happen.....

Sunday 25 March 2012

Skidmarks and other surprises

Ahhh..the many surprises us Housekeepers are left. The problem is, very few of them are welcome. My regular nasty surprise is the "Skidmark". I am sure you all know what those are on the roads, in our line of work, they appear on the sheets. The human mind works in strange ways, and these marks conjure up horrible visions, as we are positive how they happen, from the placement on the sheets. Now, picture this, Joe Blow gets up in the morning, pulls back the sheets, and wanders in to perhaps shower, and then sit down to empty his body before beginning another day. All well, and fine, however, he lacks proper wiping etiquette.Next on the list of morning to-dos is to put on his underwear and socks, and this is done by sitting on the bed. The lack of proper wiping is then transfered to the sheets, and as he rises to put on his underwear, it smears, leaving.....a "skidmark". Now we may chose to simply pull up those sheets, and let him sleep with his mark. It depends on a few things, is this mark a daily occurrence, and did we change everything the day before? Is it low enough that it will not be seen upon him crawling in at night? Maybe we just are fed up with the mess in his room, and figure he can darn well live with it, or perhaps his weekly is due the next day, and no sense in changing things. Bet you never thought this job would carry so much decision making, right?
  Facecloths are another issue. Now, I have never been a part of any aspect of the "Sex Trade" but I did have to sit through Guidance class in school, and I do watch TV. I also had 3 children, so I know a little about Spermazodes. I hate spermazodes, you are never sure where you will find their burial place, but face cloths seem to be a favourite place. Come on...you know what I am talking about. Our imaginations are not keener than the average person, yet we can visualize exactly what happened,especially when they are a hardened clump, after one use.  We have changed so many rooms to brown towels, the white ones tend to hide things much better. To ease your minds, these are washed in hot water,LOL.Much as I hate picking up wads of toilet paper, I would prefer those to the face cloths, and will tell you, personally I will never use a hotel face cloth on my face. I have developed a phobia, although I am sure they are sanitary, the knowledge of where they may have been before me, just will not escape me.
  Now I realize guys have to shave, especially guys that work in the oil patch. I understand this is likely a job they hate, but I think housekeepers hate it even more. Those freaking hairs are a real pain in the butt to remove from a sink, but an accepted part of our job. Now, though, it seems these blasted trimmers are the newest fad, guys are trimming beards, sideburns, and whatever else, leaving a sink full of 1/2 a lb. of hair, and even stranger, it appears we have some guests who decide to give themselves haircuts, well, truth be told, I think they remove all their hair!!! We are finding the bathroom garbage bags full of hair. Is there something C.I.S. should be investigating going on in our hotel rooms? Maybe a serial murderer that is shaving bodies and stashing them about the hotel?
  Oh, and then we have the shower toothbrushers. I know they want to have those few extra minutes to sleep, and may be attempting to get everything done in a short period of time, but really, trying to scrub hardened toothpaste out of a bathtub, knowing that it was spit out of someone's mouth, is Yuckable.I can go on about things that come out of people's mouths that I have the "pleasure" of rubbing away at with a cloth, making sure my hand does not come in contact with, but figure, I will leave that for a later time.
  I end this spew with the thought, am I going to put the hotels out of business, by frightening all my readers so much, they don't dare sit on the bed? Oh, I know, everyone who would be reading this, practice the art of proper wiping, right?

Saturday 24 March 2012

Hotel secrets and tips

Decided that it was time to fill some of you in on the sneaky little secrets in hotel housekeeping. These are for your comfort next time you happen to book a room, and things that surprised me when I started in housekeeping.
  I am amazed at how many rooms I go into clean, only to find that the guest has chosen to sleep on the blanket, and under the bedspread. Do not do this, if you have any fear of strangers. In truth, the only things usually changed on beds between guests are the sheets and pillow cases. I know, seems yucky, but it is true. Perhaps this is the hotels way of helping stay environmentally friendly? I don't know for sure, but it blew my mind at first.I always thought everything was replaced. I understand the impossibility of this happening now, as I have done more than my share in the laundry side of things. We have 2 household front load wash machines, and 2 matching dryers, in which to keep up with a hotel full of laundry. Imagine yourself washing all the towels and sheets for your neighbours on your block. Each wash takes 30 minutes and each dryer load perhaps 1 hour, and you work a 7.5 hour day. Now add to this all the bedspreads (which our dryers do not like, and apparently insist are dry when they are damp) and blankets. Impossible, right? So, we do what we must, and that is to offer nice clean sheets and pillow cases. We are not alone, I have checked, it is apparent many hotels no longer do bedspreads, so the safest place to sleep, is under the sheets! I really must stress this fact, as it actually bothers me to see folks sleep on a blanket that may have had 3 different over nighters use.
  In our hotel, we have another secret, well, it's not really a secret, it is just plain weird. In almost every room we place a coffee pot, we also must ensure there are filters for this pot, but...here comes the kicker, absolutely no coffee is provided! So many times I have gone in to clean, to find the pot filled with water, and can imagine the guest searching about for the packet of coffee, that was not there. I can't explain this, just some really strange policy.
  Then we have the Row houses. These do not get the same service as other rooms. 6 days a week, they simply get towels changed and garbage removed, no bed making. Not sure how many time we have come to a door, to find the Maid service requested sign on the door knob. We go in, do what we are suppose to, and back the next day to find the sign again. Folks complain to the waitress in the morning that they don't get their beds made, hey, again, company policy, but guests are apparently not warned about this, therefore the blame is placed on housekeeping.
  I will have to do some thinking on any other warning I have for you innocents out there, but, bet you are very glad you have someone in the know to offer you this information,lol.
  Now as to tips. What a pleasant thought, and one that seldom occurs in housekeeping, but when it does, it is generally by the cleanest, easiest guest we have had to clean up after. Oh, my buddy has got the Puke tip, occasionally, yep, exactly what it sounds like, someone pukes, and leaves $20 to muck it up. That is gross, but it is a huge step up from those who puke in their beds, and simply ball the blankets up, leaving a nasty surprise. We do not get the standard gratuity like in some hotels, just a nice surprise when we least expect it. We had a guest stay for about 4 months, simple as pie to clean up, hardly messed his bed, he left, and handed the office 75$ to share between us, wow, that was nice. I have received an $80 tip after having a crew stay for about 5 months, and once in awhile a few scattered 20$ and the more often toonie. The worst tip, approximately 65 cents on a table with a note saying "Thanks A lot" from a row house full of drug sucking slobs, who were upset with their mega thousand dollar bill, and felt the urge to take it out on housekeeping. Tips for us can be many things, a 1/2 full container of candies is a joyful sight, ichiban is O.K. popsicles left in a freezer, not bad, a 1/2 can of coffee, quite a find, frozen steak is a treat,lol..yes, the job does have its perks.
  So next time you head to the hotel, be sure to crawl in under the sheets, and perhaps pick up a couple of chocolate bars, that you conveniently leave on the table when you check out.

Friday 23 March 2012

Day of Dread

O.K., I was in the shower, when I figured out, I need to write about today, my mind just amazes me!! Before this, I want to ensure you remember who I am. I am a decrepit old broad, with knees that need fixing, one roll too many around my middle, wrinkles like a prune, arthritic hands, and extremely poor eyesight.My partner is older than me, far skinnier, but just as decrepit, and just as arthritic (I don't think she is near as wrinkled, though). So, keep this in mind, when I explain what my day consists of.
  Now, I have chopped my hair off, I figured it was becoming a problem, too short for a ponytail, and long enough to get sweaty, so, off it came. I often shower when I get home, and wake up too late to shower in the morning. Short hair is easy maintenance, except after a person sleeps on it when it is still damp. Many mornings I wake up with a rooster tail, as I brush my teeth, I see this sticking up, and debate..."should I attempt to find a way to flatten it?" most mornings, I decide, " nope, I'll have a second cup of coffee. I'm not going to try and impress anyone with my stunning good looks". Besides, I have a man, who has seen me in far worse condition than a rooster tail. I go into work, and meet up with my buddy, who also has a clump of hair sticking up, and we do comment to each other, as we begin our daily drudge. Maybe if we did not go in so early, we could spend the time to beautify ourselves, but, really...Truth be told, we have had one housekeeper actually find the man of her dreams cleaning rooms, but, as the two of us already have our men, we don't want to tempt fate.
  Now onto the Day of Dread. I mentioned the short-staffed business (countless times), and it is a nasty little problem. Very seldom do my partner and I plan on the same weekend off, but, we realized quite awhile back, we were going to have to face this issue this very weekend. We warned everyone, and thought things were covered, but, of course, things never work out as planned, and it became clear, there was likely only going to be two people all weekend. Hey, we have done this many times before, it's not nice, but it is possible. We decided that to be fair, we would both spend today, just the two of us, so the others could have a break before their bout. We actually sat down to tea last night, discussing how we would manage. We have 27 hotel rooms that must be cleaned, 2 of those were strips, which means a total clean, one guest out, another coming in, then we have one outlying area with 6 large living units, one house, 4 small units, one also a strip, and another outlying area on the opposite side of town with 9 row houses, one of course to be stripped. That is an awful lot for two old biddies, but, once we got started, we blew our own minds. It is incredible how much work we did, and yet, old and arthritic as we are, it was no where near as dreadful as we had imagined. By lunchtime, we knew we would manage fine. That is the result of the common sense that both of us learned way back in the day. We knew that we would have to push ourselves to begin with, as some of those rooms hold nasty surprises, our method is something we have learned over time.To have a friend you work with, requires you to share, and neither of us would feel comfortable letting the other do more than 1/2, right? We can walk into a room, and instantly begin to work together, maybe it is this simple because we have been doing this for so many years, but, I think it is because we both began our working years back in the old days, and remember when it was possible to get fired if you did not complete your work load. There are days when we only have to do 1/4 of this work load, and those days are good. But today was good, as well. It gave us the chance to do the whole thing ourselves, and prove that although we are no longer young and energetic, we are still able to do a very labour intensive job. Strange as it seems, I am glad we had the Day of Dread, I know that there is still life left in this old girl, and that, even Bizarro world, allows me a feeling of satisfaction.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Bizarro World

O.K. did Superman visit that world? I seem to remember him suddenly getting transported (perhaps by Kryptonite) into a world where everything was backwards, or the opposite of "normal". That is the world I feel I am trust into each day I head to work. My friend and I used to say the single word "Bizarre" countless times during our work day, and decided that we were trapped in Bizarro world. Now, sadly, we have grown accustomed  to the total lack of "normal;" we don't even speak of this anymore. Oh, it's not that we don't know we are wandering throughout another dimension, shrugs, head shakes, ticks, convulsions, and strange growling noises are common place in our daily routine. We have recently started making a pig like squeal, with the word "well", it has actually become our Mantra, and we have noticed some of the others exhibiting this noise (perhaps teetering on the edge of the two worlds?). Stating the fact that what we were experiencing was only short-term, and upon exiting the work place, we would find ourselves back in the real world, used to work, to calm us, however, recently, we have become worried that this has collected on our bodies in some sort of film, and has been coming into our homes. Oh, we shower, but the bizarre stuff just will not wash away. We call each other in the evening, to check to see if we are imagining this, but, sadly, it is immediately confirmed upon speaking, that we cannot escape.
  One positive, I have not found myself dreaming of job experiences, but my poor friend has. Oh, I can't imagine the nightmare, working throughout the insanity, and then having it invade your sleep!!! I can't have a single conversation without work popping up. My gosh, is this the sign of a very sad life? I have a wonderful man, children, grandchildren, beloved friends, an awesome dog, yet....every single waking moment is sprinkled, or, more often, doused with talk of work.
  I think I have been pretty clear, this is not the job I planned for myself, in fact, as I also stated, I HATE my job, so why has it taken total control of my life? In truth, I think it is because I am stuck with it, kind of like a conjoined twin, that you just can't get rid of, because it is connected through vital body parts. I wonder what I did so very wrong in my life, that Karma seems to feel I deserve this punishment. I attempt to begin each day with a positive mind set, only to have that disappear upon opening my eyes. I offer words of support to my friend, but she knows, they are empty. We are working in the Hotel California, we have checked in, and now we can never, ever leave!
  I had hoped this blog would evacuate some of the crud that has settled so thick inside me, that it spews continually out my lips, and have not given up, yet. With any luck, this Bizarro world is not using me to contaminate all those who sit down to read my rant. Hey, maybe that wouldn't be so bad, perhaps some of you will suddenly be overcome by the desire to join our world, and we won't be so short-staffed. Think about it......

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Ditz'es

O.K. before anyone gets their panties in a twist...all those (except my buddy)in this "issue", no longer work with me!!!Please no worries that I am writing about you, if you see something that seems familiar, it is just fluke!! Goodness, I tried writing this last night, and had to delete, sometimes, you just had to be there. I will try very hard to allow you to see the problems we had with previous staff, and hopefully understand why we often feel like only the dregs of humanity show up to attempt Housekeeping(present staff excluded).
  Now, the worst possible message we can get from the office is..." We have Joe Blow staying in the hotel, and his wife is with him, she wants to work with you". In our experience, that has never ended well. We have to accept this, as besides always being short-staffed, these women are right there in our face, every day, and generally their husbands work for "That" company, we must always try and keep happy. Hey, once we even had this message about a husband and wife staying at the competition...we had to smile and deal with that winner. I recall he even explained that she was a tad "slow" Hah! Knew she was useless when she was handed the keys to our company wheels, and went out the door, only to return moments later to ask "what key do I use?" sadly there were 2 keys on the ring....Duhhhhh. She did not last long, apparently she thought "common-sense" was optional.
  We had the pleasure of a tiny little woman from Indonesia, who came along with her husband on a long-term project, again for "That" company. I have to admit, we all loved her, she was so cheerful, and sunny, just started everyone's day off with a smile. She is the only one I know that could whip through rooms faster than two of us combined. This appeared to be a good thing, until one day, I had to redo a room that had been a clean, for her, only to become a strip later in the day. When I pulled back the bedding, I found she had made the bed over the TV remote, and some underwear. She also was obsessed with the wash machine! She would grab piles of sheets, throw them in the machine, start it, and dump a cup of bleach in. We attempted to keep her away, sent her across the parking lot to another building, but somehow, when we turned around, there she was smiling, holding the bleach bottle. We had a little going away party for her, and then had to place a large linen order to cover the sheets destroyed by bleach.
  I was lucky enough not to have to deal with the one that shocked my buddy. This was a prize, again, staying with her husband..She was apparently on disability, for some mental issues (we were informed this, by her hubby, after a day of dealing with her). She was hauled off to help in the outlying area. Now again, the cute little house, I have spoke about before. When I say little, I mean it. The bathroom is tiny, and is immediately in front of the doorway. My friend was shaking her head, pretty much off the bat, as this one would take "smoke breaks" every 15 minutes, even in the guests rooms, but she was not ready for the sight she got in the house. The "newbie" was told to clean the bathroom, as my friend did a bedroom and the kitchen. When my friend finished, she went to check on the woman, there she was sitting on the toilet, door wide open! Cripes, if the guest had happened to open the house door, he would have had to be blind not to see her. Now, I have worked for years with this friend, however, if the urge hits us, while cleaning a room, we will close and lock the door. Guests do not need to see Housekeeping testing the toilet.
  We have one that is not with us now, but will return at some point. The short staffing is so desperate than we had had to learn to accept one woman who will work for perhaps 2 weeks, and suddenly disappear. She will generally do this at the worst possible time, and then, just as suddenly as she disappeared, she will show up one morning, as if nothing happened.
  I decided to include someone who did not work in housekeeping, but was definitely a close contender for the worst employee ever. This winner was hired for the restaurant. She had been camping just outside of town in a tent with her boyfriend who was working on a project. Guess the loving couple had a fight in the tent, and Goldie Locks showed up at the office door looking for a job. Hey, I try very hard not to allow first impressions to take control, but, this one had Ditz written all over. Our first meeting was when she waltzed over, and informed us she had permission to use the shower room. Hey, no problem, but...suddenly she is requesting more towels, she needs one for her body and one for her hair...then she is handing us her lingerie, requesting we wash it??????Things went from bad to worse, we knew the restaurant was not impressed with her, but suddenly we started finding her in the rooms. She would wait till guys were heading to work in the morning, and ask them for their keys, and then climb into the warm beds and sleep till noon. Worse, she would call through the door when we knocked, to tell us to come back later to clean, and also ask for her two towels. Some people just seem to push my buttons, and this one had mine down full force. I fought a losing battle of wits, as she was one of the most "witless" people I have ever met. Like the rest, she disappeared shortly. I suppose that we must be grateful that they seldom last longer than our nerves will take, and leave us with memories we can laugh about, until the next wife that shows up wanting to pass time in housekeeping.

Monday 19 March 2012

Common Sense

Help, I had a whole day off, and all that happened, is, I spent the whole day dreading going back. Pretty bad, eh? Why do I keep going in? Sadly, I need the job to keep my sanity, and it is a continual tug-of-war to convince myself, it is keeping me sane, rather than driving me nuts! You must keep in mind, small town, few jobs. This offers me enough money to go back the day after pay day, and unless the Trade fairy flitters by and drops a Trade on my lap, I am at an age, this will have to do. I don't have connections, I don't have key board skills (yes, I am still pecking away with 4 fingers, and looking at the keyboard, just like I did back in the old days at the Underwood typewriter) so, I have very few options. It's do this, or stay home.
  I do know the solution to making my job more appealing, and that would be the welcome addition of Common sense in the workplace. I used to enjoy work, my first job was working for a magnificent boss. He built the hotel, he maintained the Hotel, he did every single blasted job at one time or another, and he was consistent. He had a set policy on how things were to run, and every  employee learned this policy and followed it. There were no surprises, you knew what your job was, and how it was to be done, and you did it. You were not expected to go over and above your duties, but, in truth, because our Boss always went beyond his, every single staff member would as well. We didn't think about it, because we knew our boss would go the extra mile for each  of us. I was lucky, in some ways, but, now I expect this in every job I have. My boss had a great deal of common sense, work ethic, and , he knew the value of a pat on the back with a job well done. Those employers have become obsolete.
  What is the  new trend? Is it, if you have an employee that comes in every day they are scheduled, and puts in a full days work without having to cry for assistance, you totally ignore them. However, if you have high maintenance employees who call in at the last minute to(or don't call in at all) dump  a shift, who whine at the job they are given, who take forever to do the job, who do it poorly, who are in the office on a constant basis telling their personal woes, you bend over backwards to appease them? When I grew up, we were taught to keep our job and personal life separate, what changed? The explanation of why some employees are treated so differently is" If they quit, who will we get?" Whoa, is that where the world has come to? No more Kudos on a job well done, folks who do their jobs properly, apparently won't quit.It's the slack assers that suddenly become indispensable.I wonder, because I know it is not only my workplace that has come to this point, I have seen it various times in the past few years in places far more advanced than the hotel.
  So, why do I stay? I suppose mainly because I know that since Common sense has all but disappeared in the school, in Government, in Health care, in the Media, it is unlikely that I will find it anywhere else in such a small town.Now I just have to figure out a way to keep my Common sense quiet, until I leave the building.

Sunday 18 March 2012

Princess Kiss My A$$

Some days, when I finish work, I find myself in a state of mind where I need to spew some of the venom that has accumulated over the years towards certain guests. I realize with this media, I must be careful not to commit some sort of legal faux pas, so I will wander into this story very slowly and carefully.
  Now, every spring in our little hamlet, brings not only the welcome sound of the Geese returning, it also brings the horrible reality of returning long term guests. These long term guests usually work for a specific  corporation, and arrive in April to haunt our every day, until the fall. We have a few of them, and they all have nicknames. The one who has been taking up brain space, lately is one of our most disliked. She came for years, and made our lives a total living hell.It may seem bizarre that one single woman can make every single Housekeeper on staff cringe, but this one was more than capable.
  She would arrive with her husband, and the phone calls to the office would start immediately. It would be small things, the oven was not working properly, baking that she had done for years at a certain temperature was burning, she needed the oven replaced. Then it would be the bed. One day my friend and I had to haul mattresses and box springs up and down 4 sets of stairs, because her husband's back bothered him. Oh, one bonus, we never had to make the bed, heavens no, our linen was not up to her specifications, she brought her own. Oh, she also ensured that the company supplied her with a washer and dryer (not offered by the hotel) these would be installed, and doors removed for easy access. Waxed floors would have to be stripped because the husband wore his slippers inside out, and it was too dangerous. She also insisted that dish cloths and towels had to be a certain type, and were to be replaced daily without fail. Towels were to be specific as well. I remember one day in particular all the clean towel sets were thrown in a pile, because apparently someone in town  had been burning in their yard, and she detected wood smoke smell on the clean towels! The most annoying part of this woman was, she refused to leave when we were to do a weekly in her "house"(these are row houses, with 3 floors to be cleaned).
  Now, years ago, she arrived, and we were informed by the office to be ready for our nightmare, simply by being told that "the princess is back". Lord love us, the hairs on our arms instantly stood up, muscles clenched, and colour drained from our faces. We stood our ground with the office, we insisted they tell her she was to leave when we did her weekly, stating that no one would clean while she sat there watching and ordering us about like slaves. Hah!! What a commotion that caused. Her husband went directly to the office and told them that was not about to happen, they paid for the place, they were not going to leave it so housekeeping could wander about their personal stuff!!! First, bear in mind, these people did not pay for diddly, their company paid every penny of their hotel bill. Now , this company is big, and our employer did not want to rock the boat, so... yep, you guessed it, we were told we had to follow the Princesses rules.
   My friend and I were the  lucky ones to head over for the dreaded first meeting. Oh, we were sick, months and months of this woman to endure, every single day we had to cater to whatever whim she chose to drop on us. I can remember us discussing how the office had called her "the princess" and I can clearly see my friend stepping out of the car to head to the door, and out of her mouth came the words "Princess!!! Princess Kiss my A$$, is who she is!" I have never known a nickname to fit so well, this was absolutely perfect. She has remained Princess Kiss my A$$ to this day, and is known by this throughout the land.
  The nickname did not make her any nicer, it certainly did not lift the heavy burden of making our way to her door day after day, never sure what we would have to listen to in line of complaints. But, we did have the satisfaction of knowing each time we went through her castle, if she felt she was the one in control, she was sadly mistaken. I know, I had the control, I was the one who could wipe her toilet rim with the same cloth I wiped the back of her toilet, where she laid her toothbrush. O.K. ..sounds nasty, but, she really should have put the damn toothbrush someplace better than on the toilet!
  So, just a heads up, make sure you are nice to the lowly toilet scrubber, if not, rinse your toothbrush well.

Saturday 17 March 2012

Despicable Duffle Bags!

I'm back!! There are times when this decrepit old body can't handle the demands of this job, and I can't even find the energy to sit down and natter. This past while has been such a time, but I am slowly recovering, and hope that some venting may allow me to return to my usual buoyant self,lol. O.K. no jokes on the fact that flab is always buoyant, you know what I mean....
  I decided because of my physical limitations lately, caused by "old lady knees", I would try and educate any of you that may ,at some time, spend time in a hotel, on the finer points of luggage storage.
  So, remember, I do not work at the Hyatt, so we do not have fancy schmancy stands for guests to deposit their suitcases. In fact, we seldom have guests that arrive with suitcases. Most of our customers show up with the dreaded Duffle Bag.Now I understand, it is likely the easiest way to cart all of your belongings from place to place. I do mean, ALL of your belongings!! I have seen 2 grown men carry a single duffle bag into a room, which gives some concept of what these bags can weigh. The bag is then deposited at the foot of the guest's bed. Often, other bags are places beside this bag, and various pairs of footwear lined up as well. Ahhh..it is likely the thoughtful person assumes this is the best place for the bag, or, often in the tiny little rooms, it is simply the only place, that will allow walking space. The problem I have with this, is, no thought is given on how the bed is going to be made. Yep, even the cleanest guest, leaves an unmade bed, and it is my job to make it. All our beds must be pulled out, to allow even the skinny ones, to get to the other side to make a bed. Our choice to accomplish this is, to either climb over personal belongings, fingers crossed we do not hear a horrible crunching sound as we step gingerly on the top of a buried computer or cell phone, or proceed to pick up every single piece of luggage up and move it out of the way. Cripes, I do not belong to the local Gym (heehee, there is no local Gym) nor do I have Red Bull wings, I have had to resort to pulling those 2 ton bags across the floor, making a bed, and then dragging them back again, so that it looks like I magically hovered over top of things, leaving a neatly made bed. The other issue is, often the damn beds slide right off the frames. Then we have to lift mattress and box spring up into the air and wrestle them back onto the frame. I bet you folks never realized the complexity of hotel housekeeping, did you?
  I suppose I should try and look on the bright side of things, I do get paid for a vigorous exercise program, other idiots actually dish out money for stuff like this, using expensive weights, and such. Goodness, imagine the money they could save, if they would just show up at a random hotel, and offer to clean a few rooms.I should count my blessings, my sagging arm flab remains reasonably tight from lifting those despicable duffle bags. My gosh, what the heck was I thinking, I should be grateful to each and every guest that allows me this pleasure!

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Humour in the Workplace

I wonder if when and where I grew up, has something to do with my need to find humour in day to day things, simply to manage to survive.
  My old time friends will understand this. We grew up back in the day, with no TV or computers, no Rec centers, no malls, and in truth, no road out. Our little town was totally isolated. We had a plane that would fly in (weather permitting) and a boat that came every Saturday, otherwise, we were on our own.Really sucked when I would decide to "run away from home", it was always on a day other than Saturday, and my Dad worked at the airport, so....I suppose I could have hitch hiked, but, like I said, the road simply went no where. Oh, we could walk 2 miles and end up in Alaska, yep, "the Friendliest Ghost town in Alaska" was at one end of the road, I could go into a whole other country. The other country, however, was a town that consisted of far less people than my own (which was about 500). The kids from that country drove to school in my country!!!The  great thing about the other country was, far better candy, very, very cheap Black diamond and 3 hills gold jewelery (no customs) and.....the really big one...we could drive a car, no matter what age. Oh, not saying that in Alaska, 6 year old children were legally able to drive, but, in this town, we knew when the State Troopers would fly in, so any other time, as long as you could see over the dash, you could drive. Remember, again, all dirt roads, and you would often be the only vehicle moving.
  So, what did kids do ? I hear on the news, how crime rates are up, because the places they live don't have anything to offer them. They don't have swimming pools, or Drama clubs, or Tap dancing classes, and have to turn to crime to fill in their social time. Drugs, drinking, fighting, killing, all this because they don't have anything else. This is lunacy!I am not saying we didn't have some of the drinking and such, but we somehow found a way to enjoy our lives without any frills.
  Also as a tidbit, we lived in a town where we would often have 6 feet of snow on the ground in the winter, and winter lasted from October 31st until April. Again, we managed. In those days, kids were seldom seen in the restaurant, that was a place for adults or families. We had a drug store, that had a counter where a person could get an awesome "Sundae" or a root beer float, but that was only for special occasions as well. We had comic books which would be shared, gosh, I can still remember the thrill of sharing with this guy who had boxes and boxes of Archie comics.
  We simply had to develop a sense of humour to allow us to get through the long winters, and short summers, with just friends. That is where sarcasm grew, and perhaps some of those I meet now, can't quite find the funny in my sarcastic remarks, but those who went through childhood with me, had their own sense of Ha-Ha, mine just leans heavily on sarcasm. I tend to think that the group of people I spent my school age with, are perhaps the funniest people in the world. I can't watch a comedy show without hearing something that brings back a memory.
  So, because I managed to survive my childhood learning to find something funny, without the aid of electronic devices of any sort, I am able to find the humour in a pretty dreary job. I am also blessed with a co-worker who is totally in Sync with me. Between the two of us, we can manage to drag others into the Hysterics and something so benign as stinky socks, can set us off all day.
  A day filled with cleaning up after strangers, may sound like the least funny way to make a living, but, life is what you make it, and I will prove to all of you, there is funny in nearly everything!

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Kitchen Utensil Sex Toys

Well, I see I have finally figured out how to put the title up with the story!
  Now, please note, this story is originally known as the "Frying Pan Frac" episode, however, as many of you reading do not know Oil and Gas language, I have titled it, so everyone can follow along.
  I will have to explain some of the Frac stuff, however, because it does have bearing on the story, but as usual, we will keep things a little under wrap, and, actual names will not be used to protect the innocent (or in this case, not so innocent).You must also understand, I am not a Petroleum Engineer, so I can only state basics of the Frac part of things. Somewhere in the midst of Oil and Gas wells, they have Fracs. This is a huge thing, and big crews often are needed to do this job. They come with big trucks that do stuff with water, full of gauges, and the work is hard and very dirty. I have seen some of these crews after a days work, they are obviously in pretty good shape, and their jobs often are extremely physical. These crews have a set job to do, and often they are never sure when the job will be finished. Many times we have done strips in Frac crew rooms, because they have packed everything away, only to come in the next day, to find they have used the rooms again, and again, packing up to be ready, in case the job is over. I know Frac crews are a commodity in the business, and they are booked well in advance, so as soon as they finish one Frac, they are on to the next.
  This Frac crew, in particular also had the stigma of a sexual nature attached to their company name. It was simply 2 Letters.. O.K. that's as far as we go in that direction. However, I mentioned that, simply because Housekeeping staff had a few chuckles over the name, long before things occurred.
  So, our employer puts part of this crew up in the little house. It's kind of an oddball part of the hotel, set off by itself, nestled amongst trees, kind of cute actually. The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 are normal sized, one is "the closet", it is so tiny it holds one single bed, and a light bulb with a string hanging down to turn it off and on.There was a queen bed in one room, and 2 singles in the other. We tried to make sure the two single beds had a space large enough between, with a little end table, to let a person feel they had some room. First day, heading into clean, we found the two single beds together, hummm..maybe it was one guy, and he needed room? So we made them up, as usual, and thought nothing of it. Second day, beds together, again, hey, no big deal.One of the Housekeepers complained because she was always having to change the sheets in this room, because of "skidmarks", but, again, a constant of the job.
  I can't remember how long these guys were with us. I did not have the pleasure of working the day this house was to be a strip, so what I tell you, is from the lips of my buddy, who figured she had seen it all, until that day!And, I also feel the need to state, both my friend and I are not prudes, neither of us normally care what the heck folks do behind closed doors, so that said, onwards with the story.
  My friend went up to strip the house, as she started the strip, she wondered to herself when she walked into the 2-bed room, why on earth the frying pan was on the floor beside a bed. Her thought was," Perhaps they had a dog, and used it as a food dish". She picked the pan up, and threw it in the sink, along with all the dirty dishes that were left. She had other jobs to do, so decided to leave this for the time being, and get on with her work. One of the younger girls that had started with the hotel showed up, complaining she wasn't feeling well, and was tired, so my friend told her to just go over to the house, and wash the dishes. Off she trundled, about an hour later, she shows back up to tell my friend that "the frying pan smelled like poop". Cripes, back to the house, figuring this girl is just looking for any excuse not to work, but, upon inspection, it became totally clear, not only did it smell like poop, the handle was covered in it!!!
  Now for those of you concerned, all dishes went directly into the garbage. We could not assume other utensils were not involved. The employer had to be notified, and this was done by the Head of Housekeeping explaining that "Guests had been using Kitchen Utensils as Sex toys".
  I know, often in my life, I have had to use makeshift things to get jobs done, but really.....I thought my imagination was pretty wild, however, what on earth could possess someone to look at a frying pan, and come up with this idea????
  You can be sure we are far more careful now when we pick up pots and pans about kitchens, almost want to "Glove Up" to touch handles. We have considered bringing this incident up at safety meetings with new staff, but realize, this may frighten them off. The story is now only told when someone has been with us long enough to simply double check before lifting dirty pots and pans.
 

Monday 5 March 2012

So this time, we have a mystery!! Oh, I will tell you right off the bat, it has been solved, but..the joy is in the series of events that occurred. You will grasp a small glimpse of the workings of the mind of a long time Housekeeper, and that is absolutely amazing!!!
  O.K. the place I work is very old, as I have stated before. It was designed long before computers (much like myself), before folks brought their work back to their rooms, before crock pots, even!!! Each room, no matter how large, is limited for plug-ins, we have lots of rooms that have octopus extension cords hidden under beds, and behind ancient desks. Just recently we have been delighted by the purchase of some new furnishings, they arrive in clumps, and we (housekeeping) debate on which room will be blessed with the glossy pieces.The problem usually arises, on how these pieces can be utilized due to the plug problem. However, in the latest collection of furniture, we received modern black "wooden" computer desks, with a small drawer and high legs. Nothing fancy, but, goodness, definitely a huge step up from the 60's style stuff we have been dusting all these years.
  These desks had a flat black surface. Well, when you deal with countless guests setting a cup of coffee, or a drink on the top, the finish will disappear quickly. The solution is to get one of the Housekeeping staff, who enjoys spending time doing something other than cleaning, to clear coat the tops. The furniture made it's way to one area, where it was assembled, then it was brought down into a hotel room, where it was to be clear coated.Our co-worker completed her job, and the tops were all bright and shiny, however, we had to wait until a day when we had time to exchange furnishings.
  That day came on Saturday. My good friend and I exchanged 2 old pieces for new, removing computers and lamps off the old, and setting them back onto the wonderful modern desks. Oh, the change in the rooms was instantaneous, we felt we had improved and finally entered the 21st century. We chortled as we left these rooms, imagining the guests shock and appreciation when they opened their doors to find these brand new desks.
  Sunday afternoon, the girl cleaning in the section one of these desks had been delivered to, came racing across to tell us, she had gone into a room, and had a guest inform her, that when he pulled the desk drawer open, hoping to find a phone book, instead he found......DRUGS!!!! Yep, there in the drawer he found a paper clip, Zig Zag papers, a tiny vial of (perhaps Hash) oil, and this cute little "bud grinder". O.K. I only know it was a bud grinder, because the guest told me.
  Holy Crapola!!! How did this get in the drawer? The furniture had only been touched by the maintenance man, his son, and our co-worker. Ooops, who is the Stoner? Now, understand, we know those we work with quite well, certainly couldn't be our friendly Maintenance Man, and we know for sure it wasn't our co-worker, perhaps the son???You don't want to go accusing people's children of stashing drugs, and in truth, it was an unlikely possibility. That left only "Snears". You know, those little tags that say "Inspected by #12" maybe #12 was in the back room, inspecting, and enjoying a little Buzz, when #1 went to check on him, and he had to quickly throw his stuff in the drawer? Hey, could happen!!!
  All afternoon we discussed this, just no answer...maybe someone visited the room while work was being done? Now we wondered, who was missing their stash, and would they actually come asking for it? The answer exploded in my friend's head, as we were driving back to the hotel in the Sportsmobile (another story in itself). She remembered that one of these desks had actually gone elsewhere for a short period of time. It had gone into one of the rooms unfinished. She had come to this realization, because in the morning while we were cleaning this room, I lifted a can of coffee to dust, and found 2 roaches hidden under the Nabob. The desk had been removed by maintenance and been replaced by one that had clear coat. Sure enough, we whip back in the room, open the drawer of the one that had been replaced, and found 4 roaches, this was definitely the home of the grinder. We placed the stuff back in the drawer, and breathed a sigh of relief (sort of, as this is also the room with the 6 flipping air fresheners).
  Today we went back to check, everything is as we left it, no notes stating there are drugs in the drawer, so, if these folks were concerned the day they opened the drawer to find they were missing something, they did not call the office to complain, and, they did not call to thank anyone for the return.
  I wonder if, we are wasting our minds, perhaps we should become Detectives? Do you think the money is better?

Are "Snears" inspectors, stashing drugs in Furniture shipments?

Sunday 4 March 2012

Well, I figured I had been coming down pretty hard on Hotel guests. Maybe I would take the time to give you a heads up, on what will make you someone, the biddies (us) will enjoy as guests.
  You may think we just like those who are spotless, and never shower, Hah! Nope, we would rather clean a bathtub, than imagine the person who has stayed with us for 10 days, and never once dampened a towel.
   We have actually developed a liking for guests who have floors covered in dirty laundry, and sinks full of stinking dishes. Why? Simply because these poor folks are stuck in the hotel for months on end, with very few days off. They spend long days working hard, come back to make their meals (not all have meals paid for by their company) shower, and hit the hay to do it all over again the next day. They are very pleasant when we do run into them, and low maintenance. They will put the DND sign out, and catch us once in awhile for clean towels. These guys, we will make extra effort for. Today, we decided to ignore one guests sign, he has been with us for 2 months, and has not had a chance to go home to visit his family. He knows darn well my friend has ignored the sign before, and does not have a problem with this, he is just nice, and doesn't want to cause us extra work. In we go, it's a disaster! Laundry all about, and a sink full of stinking dishes. Instead of being upset, we decide to change his bedding, do up his dishes, and organize things a little. We did this, because, he has shown consideration to us, time and again, and we have a mutual appreciation of each other. That is all it takes to have Housekeeping "Like" you. We understand most folks who have the experience of staying in our hotel, are not here because they want to be. They are here because they are working. Same goes for Housekeeping. I can honestly state, not one of us go into this job, because we love it, we are there to make money. When a guest takes that single moment to treat us as fellow human beings, we appreciate it, and in return, we will go the extra mile to show that appreciation.
  So, with that said, don't go leaving a mess, and give us a smile.Just remember, the hotel is our workplace, and we enjoy an easy day, same as the next person.We like the spotless people too.....

Saturday 3 March 2012

I'm back!!! Today's topic is for the benefit of those who will head off to a hotel, just a little tidbit, to make their lives and those of Housekeepers happy
  I know, when I head off to a hotel, I immediately go into the bathroom, to see what goodies the hotel sets out for guests. I am still amazed at the shoe shine stuff,lol, and some even have the shower cap. I have to smell the lotion, and prefer those places with the liquid soap, as personally, I hate, hate, hate, those teeny weeny soap squares. There are few jobs I despise more, than trying to pry a paper thin used soap square off a bathtub! Bits of the mess go under my nails, and although it is soap, I really do not enjoy the idea of someone's private parts recently rubbed by matter under my nails. I think all hotels should remove soap bars and use gels, pump dispensers, or,anything that will not glue itself to the sink or bath. I imagine guests hate those soaps as much as I do, goodness, trying to wash your body with a bar of soap made for Barbie, is insane.
  But, as important as the body stuff is, the most important thing in your room is the sign. Yes, that thing that hangs off the doorknob on the inside. The one that says in various ways, DO NOT DISTURB, or, MAID SERVICE REQUIRED!!! Please, folks, use that blasted sign!!
  I don't know how many times I have knocked, opened a door, while saying "Housekeeping" only to find a 1/2 or completely naked man, sound asleep. Oh, thankfully, I have yet to walk in on couples in the midst of making Whoopie, but friends have. I have walked in while someone is at their sink, with a towel wrapped around their bottom 1/2, and gone back out without notice. I have seen a few pairs of knees, with pants around the ankles, in the bathroom.I have knocked and opened doors, only to have the guest look at me, and state, they have the day off, and don't need anything, and at times, had them upset that I bothered them. Hey, this could all be fixed, simply by using that damn sign!!!
  Oh...I work with someone who will ignore that sign. If it hangs for more than a few days, she will sneak a peek. But, in these cases, we are pretty sure the guest has gone off to work. We have had some guests hang the Do Not Disturb sign, the day they arrive, and only remove it weeks later when they leave. This is usually not a good thing. This will mean a room that requires a day to muck out, instead of a daily quick clean. Pay back is often a B*tch. We like the DND sign once a week, or even twice, but not 14 days in a row.
  I also do not like folks who use the sign, and then around quitting time, will sneak out, turning the sign, requesting Maid service. Not nice...You know who you are, you're the ones who will immediately call the office and complain if someone does not notice your quick twist of the sign.
  Oh, another thing that kind of sets me off, are towels. O.K. I know, you pay money for your room, and I understand, you require something back...but goodness, if you stay 2 nights, do you really need clean towels every day? I know at home, I reuse my towels more than once. Hey, I can understand if you work at a particularly dirty job, but....funny, it is the hard working guys that seem to be the least bother. It is the miserable women who come along with guys who are sucking back the  agreement that allows their husbands to have their spouse with them, while they are "living out". These women apparently require special service, towels can only be used once, dish cloths, are useless after one sink load. Come on...I listen to the environmental crapola spewed by their employer, and yet their employees must have 4 million garbage cans about their rooms, with 4 million plastic garbage bags that must be removed daily, even if there is only a tiny Q-tip in them, get a grip!!!
  I have to state this, the largest percentage of guests I have had to deal with over the years, have been male. I will go on record to say, I would rather clean a unit with 4 guys in it, than one with a single female!! What is it about women that turns them into total slobs when they get into a hotel room? Who travels with 2 dozen different hair products that apparently are impossible to close after use? If women want their bathroom sinks cleaned of toothpaste, why do they line them with makeup containers? Oh, and I will allow that a person wants their living space to smell lovely, but....the newest fad, seems to be room fresheners. I am sick and tired of bending down to scrub a toilet, and suddenly having my face sprayed with the scent of lemons, because some motion sensor freshener is plopped on the toilet tank. At present, I have a suite with about 6 of these fresheners in different scents, along with various scented candles, I think we may have a little overkill going on? Room smells like a Head shop, but, a total disaster otherwise. Guys simply don't do this, you may enter a room and get a whiff of Old Spice body soap, or even shaving cream, but not something that will set a person sneezing non-stop.
  So, in closing, I implore you, use the sign, it will make those on either side of the door, much happier.