Have a good weekend!

This phrase is so cheery and polite. It's usually accompanied with a bright smile by someone who undoubtedly has good plans for their own weekend. It is one of my most hated phrases.

Working in hospitality, I barely have a grasp on what day of the week it is. I just know if I'm "on" or "off" that day. (And "on" certainly is the word for the sugary sweet fakeness that I ooze at work. During my more bitchy moments Berto tells me he wishes I would use my work demeanor more for him and casual acquaintances, which I'm wayyyyyy too exhausted for. But this is a blog for another time). Every Friday between 4-5pm people stroll down the hallway by my office, which is on the way to the employee entrance. Administrative assistants, Sales Managers, Catering/CS Managers, and other lucky employees on their way to enjoying their regularly scheduled weekend off. They smile and wave, and tell me to "have a good weekend", while they scurry out the door to enjoy their plans.

Why is this scenario so offensive you might ask? It's simply a nice gesture. But to me, it only serves as a reminder of what a big pain in the ass it is to work weekends ALL THE FREAKING TIME! Generally speaking, I like my job. I'm paid well (not enough for what I do, but who is? And overall, I do well) I enjoy the people that I work with. My hours are long (I've worked as many as 72 hours in a single week), but I make overtime. And the perks, well, unbeatable. 12 free nights a year at any Hyatt in the world? Yes, please.

But the most annoying part of my job is never being able to plan for ANYTHING, because my schedule is based purely on the demands of the hotel. It's common for me to not know on a Thursday/Friday whether or not I'll be working come Sunday morning. It's become a way of life for me over the past 2.5 years in management, and it's a way of life for all the other rooms/operational managers (those people that I mentioned that I enjoyed working with). My off days might be Monday/Friday (my schedule this week). Or Sunday/Thursday, you just never know. It can come in handy when needed, for example, next weekend I can back to back my off days so that I can have a 3 day weekend for Meg's wedding without taking any benefit days off of work. But for general planning purposes, occasions that are not major life events valid enough to call "off limits" to my boss, are always up in the air until the last minute. This includes any and all birthday, going away, coming home, friend or family parties, weekend excursions, sporting events, baptisms, reunions, holidays in general, barbecues, housewarmings, bar crawls, social obligations, general fun stuff, LIFE, etc.

So to hear some overpaid, 9-5 Sales Manager, whose base salary is about mine PLUS quarterly bonuses, stroll by my office on their way out the door 30 minutes early telling me to "have a good weekend" when they know damn well that I'll be WORKING, really gets my blood boiling!

Come to think of it, there is a sentence at work that's even worse than "have a good weekend". It's asked at the lunch table on Monday, "so what did you do this weekend?"

Why So Hostile?

Why is he pacing, sweating, and yelling like a WWE wrestler? And all this for the Stark County Ohio treasurer's office? This is what you get with a Masters in Communication! I love how he messes up his "favorite" quote in the "history of the spoken word". And the little nervous yelp he lets out under his breath when he realizes that he's f'ed up! His gestures are also so terribly deliberate! Some of my favorites:
3:11 when he "snaps"
3:45 the plan to "expand"
4:34 using knowledge as a "tool" or in this case a Philips head screwdriver
4:40 using the tool as a "weapon" or a Napleon-style sword!
5:06 standing at a full salute when giving his pledge to the people of Stark County

He will not apologize for his tone tonight!! ...Too bad he wasn't nominated.

Honeymoon Pics!

Oahu: Land of Rainbows and the Limo Taxi
Maui Fever
Kauai: Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
And now, I leave you with these training video gems for a rainy Wednesday afternoon: