De-Lurp yourself...

Ok, as you all know I am still new at this whole blogging thing. At first I didnt understand the whole, I link your page, you link mine, I comment on your page you comment on mine...I am still trying to figure out the social rules to blogging which I really didnt even knew existed but apparently they do...SO STILL WORKING ON THEM.

but from what I can tell...

People don't like not knowing who is reading their page....ok, makes sense just assumed when I started my blog that rando peopel would be reading it but apparently that's called lurking (officially a lurker here but I didnt know!!)

I didnt get the whole comment on my page thing and if finally makes sense since I started getting my own comments...Comments leave a warm fuzzy feeling inside and I think "Someone wants to know about my life...! Yay!" That's why you are supposed to comment!! Tell that person whose blog you read everyday that you like their blog. So ladies and gentlemen:

Please take part and De-Lurk (or the true Santa Barbara in me says) De-Lurp yourself:

ps. At UCSB, in the greek system and it has slowly expanded outwards, we use the term : LURP, to properly explain: imagine yourself at a frat party (I know, it's awful but just do it, I'm pretty sure you have all been there at sometime or other in college) and some drunk guy comes over and is like "So, how you doing?" (in some awful Joey Tribianni voice ) and he ends up putting his arm around you and and not leaving you alone and wants your number and spends the whole night "Lurping" on you...get it...TO LURP....almost like Lurk but more, I dont know...Lurpy....maybe "slimy" would be a good synonym...

"There's Beauty in the Breakdown"

So the hotel broke me yesterday...and I am a tough nut to crack...but yesterday...during a crazy phone call with a old man I broke down crying...

Lets start at the beginning: I hate old people. Some people hate kids, I hate old people. I'm sorry but for some reason no matter how cute and small I am, and how nice I am, old people hate me and love to yell at me for very silly, or stupid, or just plain things that don't make any sense!

Secondly: Our hotel as I mentioned before is in the process of being bought, and as a hotel that has a sister property that we also run, it has been a very confusing time with employees not knowing which hotel they will be placed at once the impending sale is done. There is a lot of confusion, people using sick days to really go on interviews at other hotels, so that means a lot of people are out sick. I am one of the lucky ones where I know I am not getting fired and not only that, I have an offer with the restaurant (which was sweetened this week when I was told that I would actually be helping the event planner start a catering company, not that I have any idea what catering really involves but I am starting one, so there!) and the current company that I work for apparently wants to give me a promotion but have still yet to hear that from anyone who matters, only from co-workers and big boss (I would like to hear it from the company itself, and with salary numbers as well....)
So the above all translates to: Not a lot of people, too much work, no one to do it except me...

SO yesterday, things came to a head. After 4 days and a weekend of having no reservations agents, I was being asked to learn the reservation system (ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!?) that is not my job and I refuse....as they dragged me kicking and screaming to the computer to learn it...then, accounting was asking me for things, the GM was asking me for things, and if you can't tell yet, as Psycho Sid explained to me post-breakdown, "I have a high-rent problem", I am the "Go To Girl" in the hotel because I get shit down and people can count on me...which means all problems head my direction, and as the loyal caring employee I try and do everything, I always am trying to be superwoman and sometimes I just can't...

So: Being very busy yesterday with requests from all areas of the hotels, the phone ringing of the hook with requests from people who don't even have groups coming till June- September, the assistant asking me no to forget to order toner for the printers (As if that is my highest priority and it's not like he can't do it himself), Psycho Sid asking me for such inane stupid things she needs done that simply can't wait (can you hear the sarcasm?) and a million other things...Mr. Old Man calls at 4:30 to ask me to go over his reservations....for June...

-Basic Conversation:
Me: How May I help you today?
Mr. Old Man: I need to go over my block and check that the reservations are correct
Me: Alright, I would be glad to email you the information so you can have it on hand.
Mr. Old Man: I don't use computers
Me: Alright Sir, You have 8 rooms for these nights...
Mr. Old Man: What?
Me: You have 8 rooms for these nights...
Mr. Old Man: I have 10 rooms for these other nights?
Me: No Sir, You have 8 rooms for these nights...?
Mr. Old Man: I dont understand why you cant get this right?
Me: Excuse me? I dont think I understand the issue sir.
Mr. Old Man: I want 8 rooms for these nights. I dont understand why your reservations agents can't get anything right. Everything has been a problem from every step of the way. You better fix all these reservations right this instance!!
Me: Um, I'm sorry sir, but I think we are having a miscommunication. Your reservations seem to all be in order.
Mr. Old Man: You better fix them right this instance! I also need this change done immediately.
Me: Sir, I am not a reservations agent, I am simply mini-bosses sales assistant and cannot make any changes to the reservation system as I dont have access.
Mr. Old Man: You better get access quick!! This is insane, I dont understand the problem with this hotel and why you cant do anything right.
Me: Let me put you on hold so you can speak with mini-boss who would be glad to discuss these issues with you....
Mr. Old Man: How dare you not take my complaint! I am giving you a complaint and you are just passing me off to someone else! How dare you!!! This is absolutely ridiculous, I will not speak with anyone else, that is completely irresponsible, reckless, uncaring...blah blah balh
Me: I'm sorry sir you need to speak with mini-boss
Mr. Old Man: Don't you dare put me on hold.dd.d.d..d.d......<>

So then immediately ran out of the room crying....mini-boss runs after me, I yell at him and tell him to go talk to his client!! I escape to the canal and sit on the bench and have a good cry. 20 mins later I head back and everyone wants to talk to me, apologize etc...ugh...it was just a long day...
I like that mini-boss got on the phone and told Mr. Cranky Pants that "My assistant ran out of her very upset. I'm not sure what happened but I would really like to know what you said to upset her."
Mr. Cranky Pants: I think I owe your assistant an apology.
Mini-Boss: I dont expect you will be speaking with her again.

Go mini-boss!!

So anyways, days ends. I ask to go home early as I am so upset. Psycho Sid comes out and is super nice to me and we have a little chat. Highlight of the chat:
PS: Just think that you have a garden. You have to tend, take care of and speak to your garden. If you pay attention to other gardens yours will not get all the care it needs. All you can do is throw fertilizer on others gardens to help them out.

Highlight of my day: After hitting the low of the low...I am waiting on the platform, having decided to walk around a little as I was still kinda upset and this guy standing next to me starts cursing and stuff...(not sure, could have been turrets) but when the train comes I get on the other train car because I dealt with enough crazy today, and there standing against the door on the other side of the car looking as handsome as ever is Ten. I walk to him, and he takes one look at me and can tell that I have been crying and he just gives me the biggest bear hug...I have the best boyfriend. We spent the rest of the night in bed cuddling and talking about work woes...

Sigh of Relief....another day begins.....

Quote of the Day

Office Quote of the Day:

"I'm so stressed, I dont know whether to scratch my head, or brush my ass..."

Cheers to our Conference Sales Manager for that cute soundbite...

Just an example of the type of day I am having currently, at least I'm not the only one...

Promise to post later if this day ever decides to stop trying to shake me upside down and inside out.






**Later Today** 2:30

Time Out from anything work related: Another blogger (once I remember who I promise to link her) wrote a comment once seeing Brit's newest Beau that he looked trustworthy...not...and that we would probably add to her insanity...One Point for Annoymous Blogger!



http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/09/britney-naked-pics-shopped-all-over-town/

Teasing Phone Games

So I just wrote this and looking back on it just skip right to the bottom about the phone games...

The one good thing about the writer’s stike is abc.com has gotten a little bit creative to keep their audience coming back…
- They are currently running episodes of my favorite “Daria-esque” show “My So Called Life”. That show really is great. Oh, the early ‘90’s, seeing this show makes me glad I was too young to be fashionable, and I got to skip over this and straight to leggings and boots (as bad as Uggs really look, they are just so damn comfortable it is hard to take them off…I will endure the Ugliness for the so soft, sheep-skin insides and the warm feeling of my snuggled toes…on a side note, so much for being a veggie…)
- Seasons 1-3 of Lost are on. I could not, to save my life, ever figure out what time and channel Lost was on, so I have watched Season 1 and 2 on DVD and now I get to watch it online. V. Excited
- I must admit, I actually like Notes from the Underbelly, granted it’s no Grey’s Anatomy but at least it is kinda funny and keeps me entertained. Whereas watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy is like watching your best friend be mauled by a Tiger over and over again, talk about emotional overload, I can only watch Meredith mess up her relationship with McDreamy only so many times…and speaking of tiger, please, those kids deserved every last claw through their face, at least the tiger got one last claw in before he was wrongfully murdered…People, SHE WAS ONLY A TIGER, like she pre-mediated the murdering and shedding some blood. She probably saw 3 stupid “meals-on-wheels” really deserving a take-down and she gave it to them. YOU GO GIRL! and I digress...

Oh, and last but not least, my most current love is: the LAtimes.com crossword puzzle. They actually tell you if each individual letter is right or wrong without giving the whole damn word away like some other programs! Now, I just have to figure out how to play it at work and still look like I am doing something. I need to be faster at closing windows…I am really slow at it because I don’t want to look stupid and obviously guilty so I go really slow to be like “yah, so what? I ‘m reading blogs, what are you going to do about it…” but I would rather be faster so I could be like, “whistle, whistle, just writing emails like I should be”…

Oh and one last but priceless piece of information: I am currently in a stand-off with the other assistant. He has been out since like December because he went to Africa for like a month, so I was running the office all by myself (piece of cake)…and now he is back and is all like, I am in charge again and blah blah…so currently we are in a very passive aggressive struggle over the phones….All our bosses phones ring through our lines in case they don’t want to pick up, we can…So everytime the phone rings we both give it one ring, and then it is a scramble to see who can pick it up first…My style is very non-chalant like, “Oh, I’m pretending not to notice the first ring, but the second, I’ll just get that…” But my fingers work like speedy Gonzalez and I always win!

He does this super annoying thing where I am obviously and clearly sitting at my desk (no partitions or anything to block the view) and he will hear the first ring and could be like over on the other end of the room making a fax and he will head over to pick it up, as if I am clearly incapable of answering the phone. My favorite thing to do right now, is to wait for him to come across the room, start to pick up the phone and then I swoop in, dial *4, and get the call before he can, It’s even better when he starts to answer it out loud! HAH HAH! and of course, I do this without batting an eyelash, "oops, where you trying to answer that call?..."

Maybe, I really am a bitch at heart... Tee Hee…

Love these heels...If only I were rich...They work perfectly with my Inner-Demon

When the Cat is Away, the Mice will Play

So...not sure where my office is this morning...just me and the other assistant...I know I saw mini-boss and psycho sid this morning but haven't seen them since 9:30 and they were supposed to be having their morning meeting...apparently not happening today...
Big Boss is out of town till Thursday!! YAY!! Well not exactly yay, because we like him, but, Makes things a whole lot easier when he is gone...meaning I dont do as much.
I spotted Psycho Sid headed to Starbucks around 9:30, but we know how psycho sid gets, anything she sees that perks her interest she goes after, whether it is a store with crazy little pictures in the front, or nice looking cheese that she wants, Psycho is easily distracted so she is not back and probably won't be back for a while. Mini-boss on the other hand, (he is more like Jack from Will and Grace, whereas big boss is more like Will (but he does have some Jack in him also, like when he was doing the backstroke on the floor on friday when Psycho Sid got him upgraded to first class for his trip) ) But I digress, mini-boss has the door to his office closed meaning one thing...he is asleep...yes, he is resting his eyes because he has not picked up his phone since he walked in this morning...oh mini-boss, those late nights are hard on you :)

OK, enough about the office!! More exciting things to speak of:

-Orientation for tutoring is tomorrow and one of my "new" friends is actually going with me! YAY! I dont have to go alone, it is always better to go with someone else. And not only that, she has already signed up to do it, so turns out we may even work out as friends since we like similiar things! Ok, though...she is another one of my downer moments when I joined meetup.com, not that I ever went to any, but I joined just for a look see, and she sent me a message...you hear that...SHE SENT ME THE MESSAGE!!! Asking if I wanted to go with her to a meet up (the answer was no..., please, I'm not that desperate...well only on a bad day) . I looked her up on facebook, other people know who she is so I am pretty sure not a psycho pretending to be a girl, so I am excited we will get to meet tomorrow for this tutoring program.

-Apparently my long lost friend, let's call her um...Freckles, and she is not really my long lost friend just feels that way, because there is a very long lost story regarding our friendship that has lasted forever, and she is basically my best friend who i only talk on the phone too because she lives in Cali and I live in DC and we never saw each other when i was living there because she went to Colorado for school...blah...blah blah....etc...She MIGHT (might being the operative word) come to DC this weekend for one night. Partial jump in the air, one arm up, and a slight woohoo....She'll get the rest of the excitement if she actually shows up...let's just say she is not known for following through with most plans that involve visiting me.... So that is semi-exciting!

-I found pants that fit, no need for altering, me struggling with needles and thread to hem my own pants and no belts involved!!! Thank you ANN TAYLOR!! Ann Taylor sells OOP Pants that actually aren't longer than my whole body!! I'm glad someone actually pays attention that most woman that wear OOP pants are not 5'10 but more like 5'2 like little teeny tiny me...So I bought 2 pairs, was not letting them get away from me since they were like a perfect fit and I feel sassy,chic, and cute today at work!! One pair is grey and pinstriped with small blue line, and the other is black pinstriped.

-The weather is amazing out today so my mood is way up. I am eating lunch outside today by the canal. yum and sunny!! Doesn't get much better.

So Keep you Updated about whether Freckles comes to town, and how my blind date goes with meetup friend, and we already know I look fabulous in my new pants :)

Everything is Illuminated!

Apparently, I don’t change gears well…that’s what I found out this holiday break from my parents. When I was younger, no matter what I was doing, let’s say drawing for example, and my parents wanted me to come in for dinner. They couldn't just say ‘stop drawing, it’s time for dinner’ because I would scream and yell and cry. They had to say ‘in 15 mins. it will be time to stop drawing and time for dinner’ and I would serenely say ‘ok mommy/daddy, that sounds good.’
So as they say “Everything is Illuminated”!
My life makes sense to me finally. The endless time lines, scheduling, analness for being on time, my overwhelming sense that time is always against me makes sense for the first time in my life.
I have finally figured out why resolutions don’t work. They are too long term, I don’t switch gears well as my mom and dad say. I have this habit of endless righting To-Do lists with times to complete and everything, and I like to start a new list each day. If I don’t make lists I hardly ever get anything done.
And last night I crossed off a major thing off my list. I finished my application for this tutoring for children. I have always enjoyed community service but have not found much time to participate in the last few years. My boyfriend and I are considering the WorldTeach Organization (tutoring program for children in foreign countries) we wanted to do Peacecorp but decided 1. we weren’t that hardcore 2. they don’t take unmarried couples and we weren’t willing to get married to do Peacecorp (not yet anyways). So I decided I wanted to start tutoring kids from the DC inner-city schools and found a program I liked. I had been procrastinating doing it until the new year, but since it was on my list I finished it last night and start my training session next Tuesday!
I am so excited, I think this will be something I will really enjoy. Working with young kids is always so fun and rewarding, and hopefully it will give me an opportunity to meet some potential new friends (always looking for ways to do that in creepy, non-stalkery fashion).
I am on my way to be shiny nosed do-gooder!!

P.s. Britney keeps breaking my heart. It’s like her song “Hit Me Baby, One More Time” I keep offering her the benefit of the doubt, I make “gimme more” my ring tone as a sign of solidarity to show my support…but she keeps letting me down…oh Britney…what will we do with you?

http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/04/britney-wheeled-out-on-a-gurney/

Vacations and New Years - The Best Time of Year

The View from our Balcony at the Resort in Montego Bay!!

“A vacation should be just long enough that you're boss misses you, and not long enough for him to discover how well he can get along without you.”
– Unknown (Or at least I couldn’t find the author)

Oh Jamaica, How I miss your clear glass waters and the friendly people, No Problem Mon! I be returning soon!




This picture below: Is the View from the highway!! Not Fair!

Montego Bay and Negril were amazing! 5 blissful days of pool, sun and beach fun! Not sure if I got it out of my system as I don’t believe I will ever get the sun and the beach out of my system, but I feel better. It was an amazing place filled with fun people, lots of red stripe beer, funny accents, and wind surfing/water sliding/ snorkeling activities!
I loved spending time with my family. My younger sister just turned 21 and she is headed for Spain in two days for 6 months. So we celebrated with lots of beer and margaritas, daquiris and other frosty delights. My mom, of course, got drunk, being about my size width wide and a lot taller than me,

Things I learned about Jamaica:
Jamiacan English is a lot like British too me…I can’t understand it even though supposedly we are speaking the same language…

Classic Misunderstanding between Me and Cabana Guy:

Me: “Can I get a couple Lemonades mixed with Club Soda?” (my island drink, so refreshing!)
Cabana Guy: “How Many Times you Want? 1x, 2x?”
Me: looking at him with a total incomprehension… “Excuse me?”
Cabana Guy: “I Said, how many time you need”
Me: Still looking like a total nincompoop….”I guess 1x” (I am thinking, shots of lemonade or something…

He comes back with one drink, and I say, “Um, I needed 2 please…”

Cabana Guy: Totally Frustrated, “Dat is what I asked, 1x, 2x…No Problem, Mon, I bring you anoter drink…”

OOOPS!!! But in American English, you ask “how many?”

My favorite Jamaican Word was: Profile, Verb: other words with similar meaning, rubber neck, check out, etc. Used in sentences like, “Dem Boys be profiling, checking dem ladies along da street.”


And they really say, no problem mon…and I don’t mean they say it every now and then and only to men, they say it like Americans say the word “Like” it ends almost every sentence.
“Don’t worry, mon, no problem, mon. Coming right up mon…etc”

I loved it!! The crystal blue of the water was amazing, the only place that had more amazing water was the Turquoise Lake (Olundeniz) near Istanbul, Turkey.

New Years was interesting. Ten and I decided to do separate New Years which was bittersweet. He really wanted to see his friends up in New York and I really wanted to spend it with Cambouri as she had come done from New York to spend it with me. So, we decided that he would go do his thing in NY and I would stay with Cambouri and go with her to this party…
I must first explain my dress though…I love the Shopping Gods and the demi- God Lord and Taylor!!
Cambouri and I searched high and low for the perfect New Years dresses…I could not find a damn one that fit. Finally hidden in the sale rack of Lord & Taylor, a beautiful Nicole Miller satin pink fitted cocktail dress peered out at me…it was a size two but looked like it might fit my teeny tiny self… I didn’t dare look at the price because at this point who really cares…I tried it on and it was fabulous!!! YAY! The price tag was very scary though, originally $330…I took it to the “Check Price” Machine…and it showed up as $27!!!! I know, I was totally knocked off my feet…so not only did I get my dress for a whopping $22 dollars with my little 20% off extra savings pass but I also got to buy a pair of shoes to match!!

This is my dress but in Red

The party was in Adams Morgan and was a lot of fun, however, I don’t remember ringing in the New Years, as I was probably in the bathroom…totally oblivious to the time. Cambouri being the goddess that she is had guy after guy chasing her and even got 2 New Years kiss as I had to settle for a text message kiss from Ten. But at least it was a fun night with Cambouri. We didn’t get home till 5:30 because of course after the party was over we had to get big slice and then we went and hung out at one of Cambouri crushes house, she did other things besides talk while I passed out on the couch, only to be awoken at 5:30am as Cambouri pulled me out of his house and into a cab…the cab driver was laughing at us all the way probably knowing what was happening (We were ditching the boy of the nights house, not wanting to experience a coyote ugly moment (well, her, not me)) and fell asleep in her bed only to awake with the worst headache ever…ugh…but it was great…
The bittersweet part about the night, was being sad that Ten and I were apart for New Years. I had really wanted him to stay but was not willing to deny him his fun nor sacrifice my fun either. But What ended great about this experience is Ten came back on the 1st and told me how much he really feels like things lose their luster when I am not around. He always wants me to be there when he is sharing a joke with someone, and he missed not giving me a real New Years Kiss! I loved hearing that because I felt the same way. I love being with my girlfriends and there is a time and a place for girl time/boy time and together time, but New Years is not one of them and we really do enjoy spending time together on special occasions. We are having a Special Re-Do New Years tomorrow night, with Champagne, I am wearing my dress, and just us with a New Years Kiss at Midnight!!

Happy New Years Everyone! Hope it was fun and special!! Good Luck in 2008!

Oh, PS: Another Blog at Genpink.com is doing this great Advice Section for 20somethings, and I contributed to it as a guest post! YAY for getting involved!
Check out my post and her blog at: http://www.genpink.com/twenty-something-advice-dont-let-love-swallow-your-independence-spend-time-learning-what-you-are-like-when-you-are-single/

oh...please dont steal my pictures...I actually took them myself...thanks!