It’s Read Free Sunday (RFS) at The Diary.
It’s Sparrow, an average man passing an average life…
Saturday, January 28
There was a guy – long hair, beard, a couple of backpacks – sitting in the back part of the lobby when we reported for duty…He didn’t look like any particular trouble, but just for funsies we started assuming the worst, that he’d be trouble, and we have to call the cops…Of course, the exact opposite happened…Gina said he was having car problems and was waiting for a ride…OK, we can work with that…My fear was he had just come in and plopped down and Gina, working her first hotel front desk, didn’t do anything but, as it was, he was very nice, his long hair and beard showed signs of recent attention, and his ride came in an hour or so.
There was an email about a new report we are to generate…It’s a detailed availability report – it lists vacancies by room type – and it is to be sent to some gal at the new management company, plus GM Andy, AGM Candace, and Front Desk Manager Brandon, with Brandon noting this is temporary, that it is only to be sent thru the end of the year, which was moderately funny because, of course, that is more than eleven months away, so why not make it permanent???…For her part, Candace said she now receives way too many emails and advised us not to send it to her, unless it’s part of the other nightly reports she gets…They’re not…Instructions are to send it separately, and not include it with numerous nite audit reports we send out, so Candace will be spared finding out how many pet-friendly rooms with two queen beds with a courtyard view we have vacant for any given nite.
Revenue was out arse tonite: $46K+, which we strongly suspect is a record…We were sold out, so that makes an average daily rate (ADR, room revenue/rooms rented) an astounding $394…Since we get bonuses for being sold out now, and that bonus is tied to the ADR, that should be an extra $40 or $50 in ol’ Sparrow’s pay envelope…(We checked, and there weren’t any $600 rates; the highest one was $589.
We’re coming down with that sinus crap we had last June and one other time before that…We felt the first twinge yesterday, sort of in the back of the mouth, which makes it tuff opening your mouth…This blows because there is nothing you can do about it, besides mitigate the pain somewhat…It’s going to take its time coming, stay for a couple of weeks, hurt like hell, and then take its time leaving…We did our part by going to the grocery store and getting some ibuprofen and that sinus stuff that helped last time, so maybe we can nip it in the bud.
The Chariot got its first significant work this morning, with six inches, plus an appropriate berm, waiting for us and we are pleased – tho not particularly surprised – to report it handled everything flawlessly…We remembered to put the key in, so it started right up and between her larger size and six forward speeds, we were done in about half the time using the old snowblower would’ve taken.
Speaking of the old blower, we are delighted to report it has a new home…When we drove up Bradley across the street was plowing his yard, as usual, by hand and we’re on record as wanting to give the old snowblower to him and there was no time like right now…We walked across the street and told him we’d gotten a new one and that the old one free to a good home.
– It still works???
– Oh yeah…We upgraded; it’s not being replaced…My compliments, too.
He looked around; had he scratched his chin it would’ve been a pretty good Sparrow impression.
– I could certainly use it…I’ll take it.
He offered twenty bucks and/or some beer, but I declined; it’s good to know the old girl will be put to good use…I offered to fuel it up for him, but he said he had enuff fuel, so I showed him how to start it, and even fired it up with the electric starter and it started immediately…We shut it down and he did it himself for familiarity and that was that, the old snowblower had found a new home…Godspeed, old snowblower, you gave us eight years of good service.
Sparrow’s Sleep Log: 1030 Saturday until 2130 Saturday…11.0 hours for the day and an even-Steven 50 hours for the week, an excellent total when you consider we lost a full sleep session after having the temerity to go out to dinner Wednesday nite.
It could’ve been more, too, except we got relieved late from the hotel, had to get gas (32.43 MPG, an average winter figure), had snow to move, and clothes to get in the dryer.
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The Diary of a Nobody is a novel. All elements are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Anything else is a coincidence.
It was inspired by the 19th-century British novel of the same name.
Coming soon! Gaylon’s books in actual book form!
