Auditions and promotions

What a week. I'm going to recount the events as they unfolded and of course add my own personal opinions as I go along. Be prepared---it was a crazy week. Also apparently spell check isn't working so bear wtih me:)

Monday, November 14--work like crazy at the hotel cause the "boss" is coming into town for a surprise visit. Big Surprise--he doesn't show up. Start to pack for St. Louis, run back and forth to the office cause the GSR is having issues and can't remember how to do his job. Realize that the GSR who can't remember how to do his job is the individual who I'm leaving in charge of the property--fear ensues. By 1pm realize that I need to do a powerpoint presentation for Biology class at 6pm and study for an anatomy exam also at 6pm. Yikes, Cloister myself in the library for the next 5 hours---nothing short of a bomb could have moved me from my table. Biology class rocked, my powerpoint presentation ruled and the "group" that showed up an hour late for the presentations should have been asked to leave. But the prof was feeling generous and let them stay. Their presentation sucked, not that I'm bitter or anything. Finally crash around 1pm.....nervous about Tuesday.

Tuesday class at 8...lasts till 12:30. Rush back to the apartment to finish packing, turn the hotel over to semi-competent GSR and watch him slowly count all the money. Threaten GSR with painful Chinese torture and termination of employement is the money is not all present and accounted for upon my return from St. Louis. Leave for Tulsa Airport 30 min later than planned....no biggy, esp if you know how I drive. Arrive at airport, check-in, realize its group boarding--not good, not bad esp. as I'm in group A. At least I'll get a semi-good seat. Spend next hour waiting to board but put the time to good use and read Clark Clifford's memoirs--of which a 6 page paper is due on Monday, Nov. 21st. Fly to St. Louis...take Taxi to the Motel. Taxi Driver asks me if I'm certain I want to stay at this hotel? He wants to take me to the Holiday Inn where its safer.;) I thank him for his concern and prepare to meet my fate. Check into the Motel---rude GSR doesn't properly follow the check-in procedures. Go to my room and promptly find messy bedspreads and a hanger (not one of mine) on the 2nd bed. Check the sheets and they are clean so I can live with messy bedspreads and not kick up a fuss. Call everyone and let them know I'm in St. Louis. Realize that its 10pm and I haven't eaten all day.....growling stomach reminds me of just how hungry I am. Talk to Jeff and debate the merits of snack machine vs. pizza vs. Chinese. Really want Chinese. Steal Chinese food menue from delivery boy walking down the hall. Pick out what I want....realize that the min order is $20.00. Even I can't eat $20.00 worth of Chinese food. Go back out to snack machine and purchase graham crackers and Cherry Coke.....think this is soooo bad for me, but I'm sooooo hungry.

Wednesday Morning---meet Bob Schmidt, Senior Auditor. funny guy, going to get sued for harrassment one of these days but still really funny. Audit the property. Realize that the GM for this property is not going to last in this location. Gm is very soft spoken, slow moving and hesitant about everything. Seems willing to listen but not certain if he comprehends to totality of what he is facing. Property Audit lasts till 9pm, no lunch, no breakfast...unhappy camper who is starving. 9pm leave the property to go to next location. check into next location, and begin to prepare the Audit reports with Bob. Finally call the 1st audit day quits at 11pm. Exhausted. Go to my room, realize my property has been calling incesently. Call the property and am baraged by issues the first of which is that fact that there is no heat. Tell GSR to deal with it, stop selling rooms that we will have to give money back on and to call the Heating repair company 1st thing in the morning and have them come out ASAP. Really want to talk to Jeff, Sarah and Ryan....realize that I'm really cranky and hungry and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to talk to anyone at the moment and fall into bed.

Thursday morning---Meet Bob at 8am....realize that he doesn't eat breakfast. Think seriously about hurting him as he appears to be a morning person. Drive short distance to location to be audited (not the location we were staying at apparently), walk in the front door and realize that I've met the GM previously and that she was a b**** then and still appears to be one. Bob promptly falls in love with her.....I just shake my head over the condition of the male species as some apparently feel that rejection and being treated disrespectfully is a very attractive thing....shake my head again and then get to work on the Audit. Audit goes well due in part to someones' infatuation---never said the process was completely impartial. So I work with Bob till 9pm to finish paperwork. Go out to dinner--Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. After dinner go to Target for snacky breakfast food cause once again Bob doesn't eat breakfast in the traditional sense.....I can deal with it as long as I have snacks.


Friday morning--run accross the street (very quickly in heels) for gas station coffee---its better than Motel coffee. Meet Bob at 8 and go to next location for the Audit. Realize that I totally have the hang of this and that I like only having to worry about one job--the audit. Didn't return property calls last night---if it was really important they would have left a voicemail. Perform the Audit all by myself (pat, pat, pat myself on the back). Unfortunately they didn't pass.....serious employee file issues and deposit issues. Get done by 6pm, go out for dinner at Red Lobster, have a drink with Bob and come back to finish up paperwork by 9pm then its free time. I'm adjusting to the schedule which sounds like a lot of hours but isn't as hard as it appears. Realize I only have one more day before I return to Joplin and am filled with insane desire to beg to stay and finish the Audits with Bob. Really don't want to see the mess facing me in Joplin. Still haven't returned any calls to the property. Once again I firmly believe that if it was important they would have left a voicemail.

Saturday---am filled with sorrow that I'm leaving on Sunday. Run accross the street for coffee and chit-chat with the owner who now knows my name and treats me like his new best friend. Meet Bob at 8 to audit the location where we have been staying and do the Audit on my own.....I love this job. Property passes with flying colors. I complete all the reports and paperwork by 5pm and realize that I have the rest of the evening free. Go out for dinner with Bob to a BBQ place---really good food. Realize that I'm looking forward to seeing him in January when I "begin" my new job. Upon return to the Motel we navagate our way through 3 cop cars and many gawkers....a little local flavor had to much to drink and thought he would see how many cops he could take on. Decide to go to a movie cause I have the rest of the evening free and its my last free night until Dec 17th. Got the car keys from Bob---I love rental cars with oomph under the hood--and went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Excellent for those of you who have not yet seen it! Come back to the Motel, packed and called it a night.

Sunday morning--7am Do a breakout session with Bob enroute to the airport. Bob confirms that his recommendation is to bring me on board immediately and states that he has already told Mark and Jacques that he fully approved of my abilities for the position. Warm fuzzies all over again. We get lost going to the airport----yes I know St. Louis isn't that big but it was poorly marked. Bob drops me off at the airport and I meander my way into a Starbucks and give thanks to the coffee gods. Since I was 2 hours early for my flight I pulled out the poor beleagered Clifford memoirs and realize that I have to get this paper written tonight, finish my research paper, draft a French paper, do payroll for the Motel, retieve the Motel keys from the GSR, Pack for San Antonio on Tuesday, Count the money to determine if the GSR can live for another day, deal with the heat issue which should be a non-issue by now, write 2 performance reviews which need to be administered prior to Tuesday and all of a sudden I feel tired again. So I chit-chat with a very nice young girl going to Las Vegas to meet her mother for the Holidays and I realize that I have some of the best friends waiting for me to arrive on Tues/Wed and that I wouldn't trade that for any trip to anyplace. Arrive in Tulsa by 11am, meet with Pam and Nelly who drove my car to Tulsa to pick me up---cheaper than airport parking @$11 a day. And listened to everything that happened. Convinced Nelly to stick around as GSR till Dec. 25th after which I don't care what they do cause I won't be around. Listened to them talk some more. Arrived back at the Motel by 2, dropped my suitcases off at the apartment, came to the front office and worked till 7pm. 7pm received a phone call that the night auditor had the flu and wouldn't be in to work. Immediately realize that this is one of the main reasons to get out of the business. Get back to the apartment by 8pm, talk to Sarah and Ryan for a few moments then try to go to bed for a couple of hours before going back to work the overnight till 8am. 9:30GSR checks someone into the room directly above me.....many evil thoughts directed towards GSR for their inconsideration of my need to sleep. Finally give up on the sleep issue and go back to the front office to work till 8am. Many things accomplished during overnight shift. Cold War paper written, Research paper proofed again, Payroll completed, various administrative tasks completed. Not a single soul checked into the Motel from 1-6am. 8am rolls around---I go crash for an hour but can't sleep because HK are pushing their rumbly carts around outside and the construction workers are arguing about where to go for drinks after work. Class at 10:00-12:30. Return to Motel. Talk to Mark Miller who extends the offer of Process Analyst/Internal Auditor. Accept the offer, turn cartwheels of joy....at least I would if I was cordinated enough to do cartwheels. Begin telling employee's that I'm leaving. Call all my friends and send text msgs that I got the job. Life is good.