tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33432887691004151742024-03-06T03:11:57.324-05:00Diary of an InnkeeperA humorous look at our lives
as innkeepers in Upstate NYTina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-68443118587623642092014-08-29T10:59:00.000-04:002014-08-29T10:59:38.288-04:00The Meadowlark Blockbuster Video Rental Store!Last night, around 8 pm, we were just hanging out in the lobby with several of our guests and our door opened. In walked a man, around 60 years of age, thin, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, a baseball cap on his longish gray hair sporting a long graying beard. George turns to him and says "Can I help you?" "Well, I just wanted to come in and see your lobby and see if I can borrow a few movies." We heard a lot of weird requests in the past ten years, but this was a first.<br />
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"Um, do you live around here? We don't really lend our movies out." "No, I am staying at the motel across the street." Wait! What?? "I am doing work for them and while I am there working, I am staying at their motel." Ok, this made it a little bit better. It wasn't just one of their guests wandering over here asking for movies. But how did he even know we had movies in our lobby??<br />
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"Well, I guess you can borrow some if you promise to bring them back," George said. "Can I get your name and address?" "I don't have an address. I am currently living at the motel across the street. I am just traveling around looking for work." So with just a name and a pinky swear, he was off to pick and choose which flicks he would like to bring back to his room. But did they even have DVD players in their rooms? I didn't think so. Did he carry around his own portable DVD? Who knows.<br />
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Odder was his selection of movies that he brought over to the front desk... <i>Crossroads </i>starring Ralph Machio, <i>Dirty Dancing</i> and <i>Mama Mia</i>. Not a new release in the bunch! So as his job progresses, we will see if our new friend is a daily visitor or just a one time video "rental" customer.<br />
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<br />Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-59451066230820036692014-08-02T09:23:00.000-04:002014-08-02T11:03:41.052-04:00No Room At The Inn!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past weekend was The Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. It is the mother of all weekends up here. I heard that just under 100,000 people converged on Cooperstown. Every hotel, motel, inn and B&B for miles is booked months in advance. You could set up a tent on your lawn and rent it no problem if you wanted to. I'm surprised George hasn't started doing this. "<i>Meadowlark T&B, </i><i>Tent & Breakfast</i><i>.</i>" I know several people that actually leave their homes for four days and rent them out. Front lawns become paid parking lots. And when the inductees are popular, the weekend can be that much worse, I mean..... exciting.<br />
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Induction is a great weekend for us, as most of our guests are returning year after year. They are even getting to know each other and some correspond throughout the year. Because of the influx of people into the area, I make sure I put out the "No Vacancy" sign to discourage people from coming in with the hopes that we may have an open room.<br />
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It was Saturday night and a car pulled up. I heard someone (standing directly in front of the NO VACANCY sign) yelling to one of our guests "Is there a room available?" "No, I don't think so, but you can check at the front desk." Door opens. "Do you have a room?" "<i>No, I'm sorry we are booked.</i>" "I just drove all the way here from Connecticut. This is BS <i>(I used initials, he didn't)</i>. We passed a few motels and they were booked too." "<i>Well it is Induction Weekend. The busiest weekend of the year. Did you know that?</i>" "Of course I know that! That's why I'm here!" "<i>Well let me make a few phone calls and see if I can find you a place. Maybe someone has a cancellation.</i>" After several phone calls, I said, "<i>No, I'm sorry, there is nothing out there.</i>"<br />
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That is when he flipped out. As if we took Words With Friends away from Alec Baldwin, "No room at the inn!! There's no room at the inn!! Why do you people even live here?? Where is the Dunkin Donuts?? How can you live without a Dunkin Donuts? There is nothing up here! I haven't seen anything but hills and mountains for miles." Ironically, what we love most about the area, this guy found to be appalling.<br />
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Trying to calm him down, George said, "Let me make another phone call." <i>Why George, Why?? Why are you trying to help this guy??</i> <i>He's just yelling at us. Like it's our fault he drove four hours on the busiest weekend of the year without a reservation.</i> We told him Cooperstown was just 11 miles south of us if he wanted to go check it out. "I don't care. I don't even want to see it! I want to get the heck out of this area and go home. I don't know why people say this area is nice! Some people say they don't like Florida, but I love Florida!" <i>OMG, just leave already!!</i> <i>Why are we talking about Florida now???</i> He stormed out and got into his car to his waiting girlfriend. And yup, they drove out of our driveway and went the opposite way of Cooperstown. Home. And literally left two innkeepers standing like deer in a headlight, mouths open!<br />
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And with that, I am sure he was his own hero! "Come on honey, I'm taking you home to civilization, to the flat lands of Dunkin Donuts and multiple hotel vacancies."<br />
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<br />Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-57475303353697141772013-07-01T10:10:00.000-04:002013-07-01T10:10:10.953-04:00A Meadowlark Wake-Up Call!At the risk of putting fear into the minds of every future Meadowlark guest, I couldn't pass up telling this story. Now mind you, NOTHING like this has EVER happened at the Meadowlark before! It is pretty much the safest place on earth. Really!<br />
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The other day as I was waking up, I glanced out of the bedroom window at the beautiful morning that was unfolding. The sun was coming up, the dew was shining off the blades of grass, the state troopers were knocking on Room 10's door. Wait, what??<i> OMG, George!!!! It's 6:15 and there are two state troopers in the backyard.</i><br />
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George went running out to see what the problem was. They were looking for someone that called about a man that was hurt. At this time, the gentleman staying in our Suite came out of his room. From the window I could see his animated arms as the story was being told. <i>Hmmm. This doesn't look good</i>. The troopers stayed about 10 more minutes and then left. Their case was closed.<br />
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George came back in and told me that apparently one of our guests had had a few (or dozen) too many and ended up in another guest's room at 4 am. This second guest hadn't locked their door and awoke to someone staring at them. This would have personally scared the bejezzus out of me. <i>Note to self: always lock your door when you go to bed, always...everywhere. </i>They both heard the bedroom door open and Lynda said to her boyfriend Bill, "Is that Frank?" (her son who was sleeping on the couch in the other room). "No it's a man...with a beard." Who would possibly stay calm in this situation, but...<br />
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All I can say is that this inebriated guest had walked in on the right person. Lynda, who definitely sprouted some angel wings this weekend, immediately got out of bed and spoke to this man. "Who are you, are you ok, where do you belong?" She said she instantly knew this man was no danger, but he was hurt, bleeding, drunk, had on only one shoe and was soaking wet from the storm that was happening outside at the time. A true angel, she wrapped him in a blanket, laid him down in front of the heater, while her boyfriend went to call 911. Because there was a storm going on at the time, the state troopers took 1 1/2 hours to arrive, so Lynda and Bill took care of this man until that time. They were able to eventually find out that he belonged here at our place and they were able to get him back to his room and back to bed.<br />
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By the time the troopers got here, the guest was back in his own room. They didn't know which room the call came from. So instead of coming and ringing our bell at the lobby, these state troopers decided to go room to room. That morning, the Meadowlark wake up call for ALL of our rooms was 6 am with two state troopers asking each individual guest, "Is everyone OK in there?" Thanks trooper guys, maybe you should have come to the lobby first.<br />
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After talking to Lynda and Bill in depth about the events that night, I realized that if it had been me, maybe I would have been too quick to judge the situation. I imagined myself screaming while I forced the intruder back out into the night. Even George's heart of gold got a little bit tarnished when Bill was telling us what happened. George's response, "I don't mean to be insensitive, but did any blood get on our carpet?" Lol. Really, George, that's your first response?<br />
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Instead, Lynda took the time to determine the real situation. I believe she quite possibly could have saved his life or prevented a serious injury. If he had passed out in that storm, who knows what could have happened to him. And the next morning, after only having four hours sleep, they never once complained about the happenings. Makes me definitely look at my life and want to be a better person. Maybe I won't be too quick to judge that middle of the night intruder. But then again, maybe that lock will always be turned to avoid any misjudgings on my part.Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-59209099660646654642013-06-21T08:26:00.000-04:002013-06-21T08:36:03.224-04:00Walking That Tightwire Called "Friendliness"<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I never know how friendly to be with a guest. I
try to read people as they come in. Maybe they want to be quiet and read the
paper or a book while having breakfast. Maybe they want to know a little bit
about the area. I try not to overstep my boundaries, but sometimes I go too
far. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Take last week’s guests. Two very nice couples. Parents and
their son and his wife. The father came in early for coffee and George and I
enjoyed our morning talks with him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I enjoyed talking with all of them but maybe a bit too much.
After reading today's TripAdvisor review, I learned a few new spelling words. A
five star review. Great! A nice title. Good! Our place is immaculate and
comfortable with a good breakfast. Perfect!<o:p></o:p></div>
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And... friendly, gregarious. Wait, what? Oh, man, this is
one of those moments I wish I had done better in English class. Well, they wrote
it next to the word friendly, so it is probably a good thing. As I press the
button "<i>define</i>" on my iPhone I am hoping it is something complimentary
- "Fond of company, sociable." <i>Phew</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But wait there's more - "perhaps even a bit
garrulous." Oh that can't be good!
That just sounds insulting. As I press "<i>define</i>" once again, I just
know this is going to be something I wish I wasn't - "Excessively
talkative, especially on trivial matters." <i>Ugh!!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Really? Oh my god, I am so going to keep quiet from now on.
Sometimes when I feel a little too comfortable with people, maybe I do talk too
much. But wait, he said <i>WE </i>were garrulous. Maybe it was George that talked too
much! No, I'm sure it was me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh well, for those future guests out there that find me
quiet, reserved, keeping to myself... I'm not being unfriendly. I'm just trying
to give you your space and not overstep my boundaries. I'm going to work at
being somewhere in the middle - gregariously ungarrulous (yes, I know those
aren't words!). And hopefully the next TripAdvisor review will be something
like - friendly. That's it. Just friendly! With nothing next to it that I have
to "<i>define</i>."<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-74759573271570665852013-05-21T09:55:00.000-04:002013-05-21T09:55:01.680-04:00Ironing Out Those "Beginning of Season" Kinks!<div class="MsoPlainText">
This past Thursday George was doing some minor
construction in our Suite. He was putting up kitchen cabinets and there
was some construction debris in that room. We had a couple checking in for four
days but they weren't arriving until Friday. Or so we thought.</div>
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That Thursday afternoon while we were in the lobby a couple walked in. "We're here!"
the husband said as they walked in. George looked at me and said
"Who's here??" I quickly ran
to the computer and NO, I got it wrong. This couple was not checking in on
Friday, they were checking in on Thursday, AND in the suite. That same room that, the last time I checked, George hadn't <i>exactly </i>finished cleaning up his
construction mess. </div>
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Me, being the opposite of calm, tried to put on my best
face and said that the room was <i>just about ready</i> and it would only be about ten
minutes. As I ran as fast as I could with cleaning rags in hand to see the
disaster that is Construction George, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't
anywhere as bad as I thought it would be.</div>
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As I was cleaning the room, unbeknownst to me, George was
being <i>totally </i>upfront with our new guests. "Truth be told, Tina thought
you were checking in tomorrow." <i>Thanks George. I'll get you back tomorrow
morning! </i>This was just the first of our innkeeper faux pas that we were about
to unleash on these poor people. </div>
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In the beginning
of our season, there always seems to be a few kinks that we need to iron out.
And this weekend, they seemed to happen all at once. To this one couple. Now I
have to say that this could have been a bad TripAdvisor review waiting to
happen, but somehow we all got along very
well. Even after George forgot to turn their hot water heater on. That next
morning Michael and Sharon did not seem to share our concern for energy savings. They
actually wanted a <i>hot </i>shower. Strike two. </div>
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Then when they were having breakfast waiting for their
water to heat up, they commented on how there was no Internet. Hmmm, maybe it
had something to do with George getting annoyed with our computer the night before and shutting off the power strip that the modem
was plugged into. Strike three. And yes, I threw George under
the bus for both strike two and three. Now mind you, Michael and Sharon never seemed to complain about any of these things. And they had every right to.</div>
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On to strike four. The next morning Michael told me about how his Galaxy 4 turned into a remote control and this was good because the remote in the room didn't work. Ugh! I forgot to check all the remotes in the rooms to make sure they worked before we opened. There's too much to check!! Two remotes, clocks, refrigerators, microwaves, emergency lights, irons x 12 rooms. I'm exhausted already. Well, thank you crazy cell phone technology. No one wants to get up and down to change the channels! That is so 1975! </div>
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All this (and I am probably leaving out a few things) and never once did it seem like they were complaining. I don't think this nice couple was going to let anything bother their
vacation. Thank you Michael and Sharon for being so understanding. I enjoyed our
morning laughs and if you happen to be back in the area, I can guarantee that
there will be a room ready, hot showers, available internet, and a warm and friendly face to greet
you at the door!</div>
<br />Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-84932729860675377552012-08-29T08:11:00.000-04:002012-08-29T08:11:14.924-04:00I'll Find Something Wrong With This Place, Dammit!Some people have this overwhelming need to complain about something. If there is nothing to complain about, they will find something! One couple stayed with us this week that seemed to be digging for something. Anything!<br />
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When they came in for breakfast, there was a table that was empty. A table for two. They immediately asked me, "Where are we supposed to sit?" <i>Well how about this table here? You know, the empty table that you are standing right next to??</i> "Oh, ok. But this table has no silverware on it." <i>Well the silverware is right next to the dishes. Help yourself to everything, and let us know if you want any waffles.</i> They both ordered waffles. One with cinnamon and strawberries, no powdered sugar, sugar free syrup, the other was chocolate chips and powdered sugar, regular syrup. I felt as though they were trying to confuse me, so I would slip up and whalla, they'd have their complaint! But no, I was determined to get things right!<br />
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This particular couple was always looking around. Almost seeming to look for something that they could find that was wrong. But they found nothing. Which seemed very frustrating for them.<br />
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They were here for two days and upon check out they finally found something that they just <i>had </i>to complain about. "It was all very nice here, but I do have one complaint. You have a sign in the bathroom to conserve energy and water we should hang our towels up or put them on the floor if we want them replaced. But you only have two hooks on the wall. You should really think of installing more hooks if you'd like us to conserve energy." <i>Well, we do have those two on the wall and another behind the door and another one next to the mirror. So that makes four hooks (for your TWO towels). </i>But even telling him there were four hooks in the bathroom wasn't good enough. "I think you should really consider adding more hooks. It <i>just </i>doesn't seem to be enough."<br />
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As I stood there with my deer in the headlights look on my face, George jumped in, "Oh, ok, thank you so much for the suggestion. We will look into installing more hooks," he said with a smile forced upon his face. He's always so much better at these things than me. I think he was afraid that I might have continued asking,<i> Why is four hooks not enough? What are you hanging in there? Your laundry? And how about the towel bar that the bath mat is hung on? That's like another long hook and how about the whole shower curtain rod, I bet three towels can go across that whole rod. </i><br />
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As he walked out the door, George and I just looked at each other, shaking our heads. He dug and he dug and he found something he needed to tell us about. I am sure he was very pleased with himself. I'm sure at some point these words were spoken on the car ride home, "It was nice, but they needed more hooks." And with that, I'm sure they grinned, nodded their heads in unison... Their job was done.<br />
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Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-36383060905986111252012-08-25T07:13:00.000-04:002012-08-25T07:13:30.141-04:00You Called Us What???What a fantastic couple of days. So many people were checking in and checking out commenting on our Trip Advisor reviews. "You really lived up to your reviews," "Everything we read about you was right." Etc. I could listen to praise of our place all day long. But alas, that all came to a screeching halt at about 6 pm.<br />
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As they walked in, I felt an icy cold breeze brush across my skin. The husband's first words were the ultimate, all time dreaded words that I hate to hear. "Oh... you're... just a motel," as he looked around the lobby. <i>What do you mean we are just a motel?? Really?? Does a motel feel like you are walking into someones living room?? Does a motel take so much care and effort in trying to make you feel like you are staying with a friend?? Does a motel give you such a nice breakfast??</i><br />
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</i>Of course, I said none of that. I bit my tongue and said absolutely nothing. More afraid of not being able to stop once I started my diatribe.<br />
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I checked them in and off they went to their room. Of course, I knew it was only a matter of time before the lobby phone rang with some sort of problem. Oh, there it was. Earlier than expected. They were only in their room 7.6 seconds when the phone rang. "The TV remote doesn't work." <i>I'll be right down</i>. How come I knew that there would be no problem at all with the remote once I got there. As I pressed the buttons, the channels changed. "Oh, I guess I am going to have to stand in the exact spot you are standing in if I want to change channels," he said. <i>No. Look. I can move around the room and be right where you are and it still works. See. </i>Yes, I did say that as I walked around the room changing channels, turning the TV on and off and being a bit more dramatic than I needed to be.<br />
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As I gave him back the remote and walked out, he said to me "I hope I don't have to call you again!" Somehow I knew that was not to be. I hadn't even made it back to the lobby when the phone started ringing again. "The TV remote's not working again." <i>Oh... my... God!!!</i> On my way back, I swapped out remotes with another room hoping he would have better luck pressing the buttons with a different remote. As I gave him the new one, he asked me, "Where is your ice machine?" <i>Ahhh... this was going to be a glorious 2 days. </i><br />
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<i>I'm sorry, we don't have an ice machine. But I can go get you an ice bucket. </i>"Well I don't want it now. I want it right before I go to bed because I need to fill up my ice pack for... <i>blah, blah, blah," You lost me at "just a motel." </i><br />
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</i>The next morning as they walked in and I gave them a <i>"Good Morning! Would either of you like a waffle?"</i> I got no response or even a glance my way. They whispered to each other and without looking at me said, "Yes we will both take a waffle." I quickly made them their waffles and walked away knowing there would be no small talk. And after breakfast, no goodbye, no have a nice day, no acknowledgement of our presence.<br />
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And this was how it went for two days. Basically no acknowledgement but at least there were no more problems. I don't think they hated it here but who knows. They never officially checked out. Just got in their car and left the key in their room. Hmmm... Maybe they did hate it here. Because you know, we are... just a motel. Ugh!!<br />
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<br />Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-33162572073617604032012-08-12T16:49:00.000-04:002012-08-12T16:49:57.423-04:00Something Is Always Breaking Down!With 12 rooms at our inn and three rental houses, there is <i>always </i>something that needs to be fixed. George seems to be a master handyman when it comes to fixing any problem. It would get really expensive if we had to hire someone to come in and fix a plumbing, or electrical, or appliance problem all the time. We have even gotten pretty creative with our techniques to fix some of these things.<br />
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While George was busy at the inn, we had a appliance repair man meet me at one of the rentals to take a look at a refrigerator that wasn't cooling properly. There was a $65 diagnostic fee, so I knew I was going to have to eat that right away. I leaned against a nearby wall and half watched/half played on my cell phone. <i>Or, that is what it looked like anyway</i>.<br />
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The repairman took the refrigerator apart and showed me the part that needed replacing. As a woman (who seemed to be playing Words With Friends the whole time), I guess he didn't think I would be taking notes or paying too much attention to the specifics of what was wrong. "<i>Don'tcha just love Words With Friends</i>," I said. But instead of Words With Friends, what I was actually on was Repairclinic.com.<br />
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That part that he showed me that was $85 for the part and $220 for the labor, was only $30 on Repair Clinic. And really! <i>I saw you Mr. Repairman!!</i> It was 4 screws to the back panel and two screws for the defrost heater to be replaced. $220 for labor! Really?? He seemed really disappointed when I told him that I didn't want to spend $305 to fix the refrigerator at this time. He thought it was an easy sale.<br />
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I didn't feel bad, though. Sears made $65. AND they tried to screw us by tripling the price of the part and over charging us for 15 minutes of labor. Never underestimate a woman with a cell phone! You may think she is on Facebook or Words With Friends, but <i>any </i>subject is 5 seconds away from a google search.<br />
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<br />Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-79813277135580233952012-08-08T14:21:00.001-04:002012-08-08T14:25:14.808-04:00A Fun Dreams Park Week!<br />
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Today's post is a little bit different than my usual
curmudgeon complaint fest. Recently we had a wonderful Dreams Park team that stayed with us. Upon check-in several of them told me that they had read
my blog. I always feel a little uncomfortable when the guest checks in stating that they have read some of my stories. </div>
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With a hopeful look on my face I said, <i>"Well I guess it didn't scare you away, since you are still checking in." </i>They said they had their fingers crossed and that they would be really good that week. But as the week progressed it became the running joke. "Did that get us in the blog?" or "Uh, oh, come on, that's blog worthy."</div>
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We got
to know this team very well and <i>very much</i> enjoyed having them as are guests.
George even had somewhat of a bromance with one of the fathers. If we ever
make it out to Texas, we are sure to look them up.</div>
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Thanks for a great week Southlake Dbats and for not making the blog! Oh, wait you just did :).<br />
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<br /></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-52729522879587031212012-07-13T07:42:00.000-04:002012-07-13T07:42:16.267-04:00GOING TO HELL!If you've ever opened the drawer of a nightstand in a hotel, you probably have noticed that there is a bible in there. When we bought the inn 8 years ago, all the nightstands came complete with these bibles. I knew the previous owner was religious so I just assumed that she put them in there. Not wanting to go to hell, I left them there, of course. A couple of years later, a man entered the lobby explaining to me that he was the official "bible guy" in the area. He was here to check and replace worn out bibles that were in the room. <br />
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Ohhhh, ok, so that's how they got in there. Every few years this bible guy comes and checks their condition. Complete with hundreds of new bibles in the trunk of his car, he goes hotel to hotel. I can't imagine the person that actually turns this guy down. Having gone to Catholic school as a child, I could only imagine going straight to hell. </div>
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Which brings me to this morning. A very friendly gentlemen walked into the lobby asking about our place. After about 5 minutes of conversation, he pulled out a pamphlet. <i>Ohhhh, of course! This is why you are here. </i>As he hands me the pamphlet, he says, "I'd like to invite you to our group, although I know that most people will never come." I felt a little sorry about that, and I didn't even know what it was yet. He thanks me for my time and bids me a good day. I glance down at the cover,<span style="color: blue;"> "Would you like to wake up every morning with happy, positive thoughts?"</span> <i>Well, yes I would, thank you! Where do I sign up?</i> Turning the pamphlet over, I see the words Jehovah's Witness. Ohhh. Ok. I'm not really interested, so I toss the paper into the garbage. </div>
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Maybe I should have checked that this guy was gone. He walks back into the lobby half a minute later to say, "Can I have that pamphlet back for a moment, I'd like to write our number down on it." Note to self, make sure Jehovah's Witness guy is gone before tossing literature. The heat that came over my body as I was scrambling for excuses made my menapause hot flashes feel like I was skiing in the Alps eating a York Peppermint Patty. I awkwardly glanced over to the garbage where it sat on top, and as my mind searched for possible responses, I said quickly, "My son took it in the other room, can you just write the number on this paper?" pushing the garbage slowly out of sight with my foot.</div>
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Just when I thought I was covered - with the 12 bibles on my property.<br />
Yes, <i>I am</i> going to hell!<br />
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<br /></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-36111595009727317232012-07-12T10:15:00.000-04:002012-07-12T10:15:04.707-04:00"HELLO NEIGHBOR!"So this year's "bad" guests have been few and far between. Seems besides that one crazy guy everyone has been really nice. Early this morning after George put out breakfast he poured himself some coffee and sat down. He saw a couple of our guests walking around the property. He hadn't recognized them, but figured I was the one that checked them in. It was a beautiful morning and he thought he would tell them about a great farm road right around the corner if they wanted to continue their walk. So leaving his first cup of coffee to cool, he jumped up and went outside to greet them.<br />
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"Good Morning guys. How are you this morning?"</div>
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"Great, good morning."</div>
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"If you are looking for a place to walk, one block up, there is a beautiful farm road."</div>
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"Oh, great, that sounds nice."<br />
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They didn't seem as interested in walking as they did in engaging in conversation.<br />
"<span style="background-color: white;">So how long have you had this place? It's beautiful."</span></div>
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George went on to talk to this couple for about 15 minutes. The usual stuff... how long have we been here, what have we done to the place, what months are we open, what do we do off season, etc. Nice people. They seemed to like it here very much. </div>
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When they were finished with their conversation. George said, "See you later" and walked away. This couple promptly walked back across the street to the neighboring motel where they were staying. While George stood there with his mouth open. </div>
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Still mouth wide open, he walked upstairs to tell me about his WTF moment. Lol! Thank God he hadn't asked them if they were coming in for breakfast, I think they might have taken him up on it. </div>
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<br /></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-89134990804907574782012-06-16T17:09:00.000-04:002012-06-20T13:59:38.349-04:00One Bad Apple Doesn't Spoil The Whole Bunch!<div>
<i>I'm Back</i>.....We've been open for a few weeks and I've had nothing to write about. Which is a good thing! Unless you write a blog and your readers like to hear about the crazy stuff (and not the flowers or breakfast or beautiful sunsets, you know the typical "boring" stuff). </div>
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Here we were, on a winning streak. Almost 4 weeks and nothing but great guests. Until recently. We had a big group check in and they all were wonderful. Until one of their teammates, Mr.Wrong showed up. Right from check-in, it was one thing after another. First, the location wasn't exactly where this guest wanted to be, and made sure I knew it when he entered the lobby. After hesitantly checking in, he wanted to know where he can get some dinner. At 9:38 pm! Since 99% of the restaurants around here close at 9 pm, I thought, <i>Oh boy, this isn't going too well. A disappointed 'hungry' guest. I've got to find this guy a restaurant.</i> Luckily the nearest restaurant, The Rose and Kettle, serves a late night menu. Thank God! By the way, a fantastic place if you are in the area.</div>
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So off he goes to fill his belly. Things will be better with a full stomach. Right? No. Wrong! When he comes back, it is now 11 pm. I'm still at the front desk when he walks in and asks, "Was my luggage delivered?" <i>No, I'm sorry, it wasn't.</i> "Well, the airport said it was!" <i>Well let me ask my husband and see if he put it away. No, I am sorry, but it wasn't delivered yet.</i> "The airport said it was signed for!" <i>Well maybe they delivered it to the wrong hotel. Why don't you call them.</i> "I would, but my charger is in my suitcase and my phone is dead. Could you call the airport for me." <i>How about you use our phone to call them, </i>as I slowly pushed the phone towards him. Afraid to make any sudden movements around him. While he was talking to the people at the airport, I went upstairs and got an extra charger. As I was checking to see if it would fit his phone, he yelled at me "You can't keep my phone in here overnight!" <i>No, I was giving the charger to you to take back to your room, you're welcome very much.</i></div>
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After about 15 more minutes of arguing with the airport, it was discovered that after losing his bag, they didn't <i>actually </i>deliver it anywhere yet. It was supposedly en route and they weren't sure when it would be here. I have been in this situation of lost luggage hell and sympathized with this man. I told him I would leave a note on our front door for the delivery man to bring it directly to his room. All was well, or so I thought. </div>
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The next morning after coming into the lobby, I noticed a bag in front of one of the rooms. They had delivered the piece of luggage and left it outside his door. I went and got it and brought it inside the lobby, so as not to have people walking around it. When he walked into the lobby, I said, <i>Great news, your bag is here.</i> He took it, with barely a mumble, and walked out.</div>
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About an hour later, he came back in. "I'm going to need to cancel the rest of my reservation. I would like to get something closer to where my son is playing baseball." <i>Well, I'm sorry, but we have a two week cancellation policy. And considering we are booked and we have been holding your room since November. We can try and rerent your room for you though, if you would like to leave.</i> "Are you kidding? But I want to leave now and I need better cell phone coverage." <i>I'm sorry, all I can do is try and rerent your room. If we hadn't held your room for the past 7 months, we could have rented it to someone else. </i>This was not what he wanted to hear and after some pretty harsh words he stormed out. A few minutes later, he stormed back in with some last minute <i>harsher </i>words and drove off in a fury.</div>
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Ugh, did I really want this guy staying 6 more days? I should just give him back his money and say sayonara. About a 1/2 hour later, we got a phone call from this nice gentlemen. "You ruined my laptop! You left it out in the rain and now its ruined." <i>What? all we did was take a DRY suitcase that was left under a roof inside the 10 ft. to the lobby, where you picked it up and brought it back to your room a 1/2 hr later. </i>"But it's destroyed. It's broken and wet and it's your fault. What are you going to do about it?" <i>WHAT??? you mean you don't think that if your laptop is broken, it could have been damaged by the fact that you put it in a SOFT carry-on and checked it onto an airplane. Then it was on two airplanes, then lost, then brought in the middle of the night by god knows who to be left outside your door? You don't think that maybe, just maybe, they damaged your laptop? You are blaming us for having carried it the 10 ft into our lobby.</i> Trying to stay calm, my husband told him that it wasn't our fault and maybe he should call the airport. "I need YOU to call the airport and tell them that my laptop is damaged." <i>What? You want us to call the airport? We don't know your flight info, etc. You should be the one calling to make the report of damage. </i>With that he abruptly hung up. </div>
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Three days went by and we never had to deal with Mr. Not So Nice. He never came in for breakfast or stepped foot near the lobby. Until the night of the storm. It was around 11 pm and George was asleep. I heard horrible banging on the front door. I walked downstairs in my pajamas through the dark lobby to see him standing outside the lobby door. Noooooo! What do I do? Do I run upstairs and wake up George? No. I can handle this. I knew why he was here. The cable went out with the storm. I had called the cable company and it was out in the entire area. I opened the door a couple of inches and said, <i>The cable is out, the company is working on it.</i> "But I need cable and internet!!" <i>Well, there is nothing I can do, they are working on it.</i> "But I need it now and so does everyone else here!!!" With that, I opened the door all the way and stepped out. <i>Why are you so mean? You are the nastiest guest we have ever had here! You can't say anything without yelling at us! </i>Another one of our guests opened their door to see what was going on. I am shaking and my voice is raised and to be honest, looking a little crazy. Mr. Wonderful, turns to this guest and rolls his eyes, and says "Honey, all I was asking is what was going on with the cable," in his nicest voice. He smiles, shakes his head and goes back to his room and leaves me there looking like a maniac!<br />
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I go upstairs and wake George up crying, "That's it, I'm throwing him out," he says. <i>You can't throw him out. Maybe he will just leave us alone for the rest of the stay. </i>And even as I say it, I hope and pray that it's true. All the other rooms, his friends, were wonderful, friendly people. Even asking us to come out to their barbeque. Which my husband nicely declined. There was no way he could socialize anywhere near this guy. And none of his teammates knew what was going on. He was putting on a nice friendly face in front of them.<br />
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Well, I am a true believer in karma and someday, somewhere this guy will run into someone just like himself. In the meantime, I can only hope that the rest of our season will be made up of wonderful nice people like all the other families that were here.<br />
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Oh yeah, and he did come back one more time. But only to check out. Doesn't this guy know you can just leave the key in the room!!</div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-85520320958632025212011-11-14T17:05:00.000-05:002011-11-14T17:05:50.107-05:00Ending The Season... Almost Unscathed!Last weekend we closed the inn for the season. During that last week, I stayed at the inn by myself one night. It was a very slow night with just a couple of guests and George stayed home with Aidan. Our last room of guests checked in around 9 pm. And they were hungry. During the Fall there are very few places that stay open for dinner late. Hell, <i>during the season</i> most restaurants don't stay open very late up here.<br />
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When the guests walked in that night, they promptly asked, "Where can we go get dinner?" <i>OMG, that question!</i> That late! It happens every so often and almost <i>always </i>happens <i>after </i>the people have just driven through Cooperstown (past many restaurants) and arrive at our inn after everything's closed!<br />
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These guests had just come back from Main Street. Most of the Main St. restaurants close at 9 pm. They drove the 15 minutes past about 10 restaurants to us to ask us where should they go to eat. They even commented that Doubleday Cafe looked good. I called Doubleday Cafe. They were closing.<br />
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I told them about the Rose and Kettle (one of my favorites) one block up the street from us. I called the restaurant. They would be open for one more hour. I showed them the menu and told them it was wonderful. "No, we really just want hamburgers." <i>Really, you are going to be picky right now?</i> I tell them they should go, they will love the food and considering there isn't much of a choice, they should hurry.<br />
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As they left for the restaurant, they asked what time did I serve breakfast until. I said 10 am. They said, "Oh, ok, then I guess we will be in around 9:30." Not seeming very happy about the hour. "We wanted to sleep as late as we could." I said, "Oh, ok, well, see you at 9:30." Not really budging on the time. I found out the next morning, that timing wasn't really important to them. 10:15 am. Still no sign of life. <i>How long do I leave breakfast out for them??</i> They strolled in at 10:30. Ugh, how many more days until we close??<br />
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The next day, Mr. & Mrs. Invisible checked in. They checked in late, so we left an envelope with their key in it and the welcome letter stating what time breakfast was. The next morning the guests and I were all still mingling in the lobby at 10:30 when The Invisibles from Room 7 drove away. At first I felt bad. Maybe they thought they missed breakfast and didn't want to come in because they were late. Oh well, I thought, we would see them later.<br />
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Then Emily, my cleaning girl came in. She said the Invisibles had left a note requesting more toiletries, toilet paper, bathroom cups. She always replaces what is used, but they checked in late last night. They went through 2 rolls of toilet paper already?? As she was making the beds, she came across a plastic bag hidden under their pillow. In this bag - all the toiletries, toilet paper and cups. <i>Are you kidding me??? Really? If you are going to steal all the stuff out of the bathroom, and ask for more, can't you find a better hiding spot than the bed that we are going to make??? May I suggest your suitcase? Not that I'm condoning stealing our stuff!</i><br />
<br />
I asked Emily, "What did you do?" She said, "I took everything out of the bag and put it back in the bathroom." After I stopped laughing, I told George, who was happy with Emily's decision. That afternoon "The Invisibles" came back to the inn. No one saw them come back but, then again, no one saw their car come back later that evening either. But, we knew they came back at some point. When Emily went in to clean their room the next day, the beds had not been slept in and all their stuff was gone. No check in, no check out. We never saw them. Thank god their credit card went through.<br />
<br />
This last weekend of the season. We had four rooms of some of our best returning guests. What a nice way to end the season.<i> But of course</i>, we had to have a little crazy thrown in. Just to remind us of how much we need this break from the inn. Spring will be here soon enough, with plenty more stories to tell. But for now, enjoy the winter and enjoy the holidays!<br />
<br />
to be continued...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzj-YnNsvdER6DsSMsWGUyl29lKoknahNKyI1xMBSEMVWnNHAWfRtisdKlkq0XqgRstssTkLmR52MqORUGizFFCnJFHaHpgjrfTsjA2u6z4mq4Al7Ns7jSfve5YQYZ0DWY6-myQmj8qGR/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzj-YnNsvdER6DsSMsWGUyl29lKoknahNKyI1xMBSEMVWnNHAWfRtisdKlkq0XqgRstssTkLmR52MqORUGizFFCnJFHaHpgjrfTsjA2u6z4mq4Al7Ns7jSfve5YQYZ0DWY6-myQmj8qGR/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" /></a></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-20802102336104756042011-10-27T14:39:00.000-04:002011-10-27T14:39:08.578-04:00Welcome! We're Not Here Right Now....<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sometimes when we have errands to run or maybe go out to dinner, we leave an envelope with a "Welcome Note" for our guests. This envelope is left on the front counter with their key inside. Now for the most part, all the guests find their notes and make themselves at home. But then there is that odd guest. Last week we had two of them. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The first was a very nice couple. I was out at the supermarket and the phone call came.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Hi, we just wanted to let you know that we have arrived."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Well, hello, welcome. I assume you found your key on the lobby desk?"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Oh, you want us to go into the lobby?"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Wait, what??? You are outside in your car??? You are calling me to tell me you have arrived - from your car - in the parking lot!!!!!!!!</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Well, yes, go inside and get your key and make yourself comfortable."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Oh, I am going inside right now and there it is. I see it."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">OMG!!!!! This was definitely the first time someone thought that they should check in from their car. Maybe I should get a pair of roller skates. We could change our name to The Meadowlark Drive-In Inn. Hey, that's catchy. I don't know if there <i>are</i> any of those. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The second guest came when we were at a town meeting and George answered his cell phone. "Hi, I just wanted to let you know that we are here. We are in the lobby and there is an envelope with our name on it. I am assuming that there is a key in it." <i>Well yes, there is, so this phone call wasn't really necessary was it.</i> Why wouldn't you just open the envelope? WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!!!!! You called to let us know that you <i>see</i> an envelope, with your name on it, and you are <i>assuming</i> that there is a key in it. Really??</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
When things like this happen I immediately think - Was it something we did that was not completely clear. For the first guest, I suppose we can install a neon flashing sign that says "Enter Here". That would probably work well for the 1/2 dozen or so guests in the past that just can't seem to find the front door. We see them pull in the driveway, slow down, drive <i>past </i>the door that says "Lobby," go around the building to our own driveway where we park and sometimes pull all the way into the back. Like the inn's "Entrance" would be in the backyard. We even had one guest knock on the back door to our apartment saying "Hi, we're here to check in." I couldn't even hold back my, "Really, you completely missed the door, and the light and the sign and this is where you think you check in? Really?" I said it nicely, but I just couldn't hold it back. Next year - a brighter front door light, a bolder "Lobby" door sign. But the neon flashing light idea, may just be too tacky.<br />
<br />
For the second guest, I've decided a voice activated recordable "Yes Man" Doll could work wonders for us. Guest walks in and "Yes Man" will announce Welcome in our own voice. And as a bonus, on days when I'm not feeling so great there are 8 pre-recorded ego-boosting statements, like, "I'm sure whatever you're thinking is correct," "Say I wish I'd thought of that," and "I couldn't agree with you more completely." Hmmm, my dream man.<br />
<br />
Oh well, back to reality. So, as a guest comes in with questions, like, "Should we enter the lobby to check in?" or "Should we open the envelope with our name on it?" We will do our best to answer these and other seemingly obvious questions with our best, "Of course, and welcome to the Meadowlark Inn!"<br />
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</div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-75283150864606249122011-09-08T18:07:00.000-04:002011-09-08T18:07:39.753-04:00Goodbye Summer Rentals!When the summer season ends, so does the weekly tenants for our three vacation rentals. After this, our income takes a dive. Enter phase two, scrambling for winter rentals. The weird thing about Cooperstown though is that we have had pretty good luck with finding nice tenants for the winter season. Each year from Sept. - May we have people stay for a variety of reasons. Sometimes someone is building a home, sometimes they are interning at The Hall of Fame, some are traveling nurses at Bassett Hospital. There are lots of different reasons why someone needs a home for only 8 or 9 months. <div><br />
</div><div>This past week we got a call from one of these people. George was going to meet him to show him the apartment on Saturday. Since this person was going to be living next door to me for the next 9 months, I had a lot of questions. Now George, always ready to pimp out our places, had asked all the right questions before he was to meet him. But the problem was, he got all the wrong answers AND he was still showing him the place. He was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I on the other hand was not!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Questions:</div><div>Where do you live now?</div><div>"NYC."</div><div><br />
</div><div>Why are you coming up here?</div><div>"I need to relocate."</div><div> <i>Okay.......hmmm......</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>How will you pay the rent?</div><div>"I get a check from social security."</div><div><i> Sounded pretty young to get social security.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Can it cover the rent?</div><div>"No, but my mother also gets social security and she will be living with me."</div><div><i> </i><i>Your... mother. Wow.... this is looking... better by the minute. You did say... your mother, right?</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>Can that cover the rent?</div><div>"No, but my wife is a model."</div><div> <i>A model... Of course, she is. </i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>Well what is her weekly salary?</div><div>"Well... nothing right now. She is pregnant."</div><div><i> Well, there now, it just got worse.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>So how do you plan on paying for the rent?</div><div>"I have a website that could bring in $4,000/month."</div><div><i> COULD bring in $4,000, not DOES bring in. I COULD win the lottery this month too.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>What is the website?</div><div>"You could go to my website to see what I look like - www....... "</div><div> <i>(as he was saying it, I was typing it in. What a surprise! There was no such website!)</i></div><div><i> No, not really a surprise. But boy was I curious to see this guy.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>You know we are renting the place weekly starting June 1st, so you would have to vacate by then?</div><div>"Oh yes, we are going to buy a house and move out by then."</div><div><i> Because that $4,000/month website is really going to help with that deposit on a house!</i></div><div> </div><div>Now all of this and George was still planning on meeting him. Could any tenant be worse! He actually had me type up a new contract to bring with him. With added reasons why someone could be evicted! One of the reasons was - "If there is excessive yelling, this is reason for eviction." LOL, excessive yelling. You think these people are going to be fighting and you still want to meet him? Can't cover the rent, husband <i>and</i> pregnant wife <i>and</i> mother in law in same apartment = possible fighting, non-existent website, relocation, no real reason to ever leave. Now if these aren't red flags. Forget about <i>red</i> flag, this was a freaking rainbow colored flag flapping in George's face. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So here I stood in my pimp of a husband's way, with my "<i>No way, this is where I draw the line!</i>" look on my face. Well actually it was more than a look. I think I said the word NO about 20 times in 5 minutes. But he's used to that.</div><div><br />
</div><div>"You know I gotta be honest with you. This really doesn't look good, and it would probably be better if you found another place," George said. Thank you George!</div><div><br />
</div><div>It's a long cold winter up here, and I think these neighbors/tenants were going to make it a lot longer!</div><div><br />
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</div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-2149491842667202602011-09-02T17:55:00.002-04:002011-09-02T18:04:44.775-04:00Hello! Hello!<div class="MsoPlainText">There are long hours with being an innkeeper. The day starts at 6:30 am and sometimes it doesn't end until 11 pm. There are specific jobs to do throughout the day, but you are "on call" all day long for other things like directions, restaurant recommendations, etc. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with helping people for legitimate reasons. George and I both enjoy talking to all our guests, but the "Hello, hello" people, well, they are another story. These are the people who come in at the most inconvenient times (dinner, laundry or finally just sitting down for the night). These are the people that just want to let you know..... They have no questions and really no reason for coming in. <i>They just want to let you know.... </i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">We are <i>always </i>upstairs when this happens and hear someone yelling for us to come downstairs...</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hellooo. Hellooo."</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i>We come downstairs and into the lobby.</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just getting some tea."</div><div class="MsoPlainText"> <i>Did you want to know if I wanted any?? Why are you telling me this?</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just picking a different movie. My wife already saw this one." </div><div class="MsoPlainText"><i> Oh, ok, did you want me to help you decide on a movie? I liked "I Love You Man."</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just wanted you to know that we decided to go to that <i>other</i> restaurant."</div><div class="MsoPlainText"> <i>Why? What was wrong with the first restaurant? Let's discuss this before you leave.</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just wanted you to know that we're gonna take that other road into town."</div><div class="MsoPlainText"> <i>In case you come up missing? Phew, now I can direct the police in your direction, thanks!</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just wanted you to know that we are leaving for dinner."</div><div class="MsoPlainText"> <i>Oh, are you asking me to come with you? No thanks, I was just sitting down... to eat my own dinner!</i></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText">"Hello, hello... Just wanted you to know that the toilet paper in the lobby bathroom was running low."<br />
<o:p><i> Not out! But low. I'll get right on that!</i></o:p></div><div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p>"Hello, hello... Just wanted you to know that my sons were going to play a game of chess in the lobby now."</o:p><br />
<o:p><i> Ok, do they need me to watch?</i></o:p><br />
<br />
"Hello, hello... I just left my key on the front desk."<br />
<o:p><i> Oh thank you for telling me, now I can I safely put it in the drawer.</i></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><i>or alternately</i></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText"><o:p>"Hello, hello... I am going to leave my key in the room when I check out."</o:p><br />
<o:p> <i> Oh, I'm glad you told me. I would have worried that you were one of those "non-checking out guests" (like in my previous blog). </i></o:p><br />
<o:p><i> </i></o:p><br />
<o:p>With 12 rooms of people there are bound to be "Hello, hello" people here a few times a week. And yes, all of the above have been said to us at least once, and some of them many times throughout the years. But we always try our best to walk into the lobby with a smile on our face and say "Hello! Oh thank you for telling me."</o:p><br />
<o:p><br />
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</i></div></div></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-38852112019647750372011-08-21T17:25:00.005-04:002011-08-22T17:02:07.460-04:00Check-Out Time? Whenever!Fridays are our busiest days. Not only do we normally have a lot of check-out/check-ins, but it is the turn-over day for our rental houses. It was 10 am this past Friday and I was getting ready to leave to check on our rentals. George was cleaning up breakfast and the girls had started the room cleanings. All the guests had either checked out or had gone out for the day. There were no cars in the driveway.<br />
<br />
Around 10:45 Emily came in to tell me that I had mistakenly put Room 9 as a full-clean, but it was a refresh since the guest's things were still in the room. Oh, ok, I don't normally mess up like that, but let me just recheck that on the computer. <i>No</i>, that guest was supposed to check out. I went down to the room. Maybe they had packed up and ran out to get gas, were coming right back to check out and get their stuff. Yeah, that's it, I had convinced myself of that on my way down to their room. When I opened their door, nothing was packed. This was a <i>very </i>lived in room. There was a tip for the girls on the bureau and it looked very much like they had gone out for the day. All I could think about was that in 3 hours there would be a family arriving to check into this room. I ran to the front desk to hopefully get their cell phone number off of their reservation. But there was just a home phone - no way to contact them. George and I decided to wait about an hour or so and we would have to start packing their stuff up ourselves.<br />
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George started calling around to see if he could find them another hotel to stay at. Obviously they thought they had reserved for two nights, not one. When they got back and found we had evicted them from their room, they were not going to be happy. Oh, damn you TripAdvisor! Hopefully, they never have heard of THAT site. But they reserved their room, got a confirmation, and paid for one night!! How could they think they had two nights booked??? Did they just decide to stay another night and forget to ask if it was available for another night?? WHERE WERE THEY??????<br />
<br />
Me, never one to panic (ok, panic is my middle name), started running around like a crazy person. I put a yellow sticky note on their door to come immediately to the office if they came back. We found a place for them to stay that night and decided we would start packing up their things around 1 pm.<br />
<br />
Then around 12:30, the wife came walking into the lobby.<br />
"Why did you want me to come down here?"<br />
"Do you think you are staying another night?"<br />
"No, we are checking out today."<br />
Oh thank God! But then it hit me, she was very casual with her, "No, we are checking out today."<br />
WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK CHECK OUT TIME IS???? ANYTIME YOU WANT????<br />
No, I didn't say that! But if you were in my head, you heard it loud and clear. What actually came out was, "Check out time was 11 am. We were so worried that you had wanted to stay another day and we had no rooms available."<br />
"Oh no, we went hiking this morning and it was such a beautiful day that we decided to stay out longer. Then we went to the farmer' market. Sorry if we worried you."<br />
"Well, I was more worried that you had no where to stay tonight." <i>And that I was going to have to pack up your stuff, and wait around all day to explain to you that you were staying somewhere else, and change the locks on that door because god forbid you walk into the room that others were staying in. And then you would give us a bad review!</i><br />
"Oh no, I wasn't worried."<br />
<br />
A little while later she walked into the lobby to check-out. "I had a very nice stay, but I do want to inform you that you do not have an updated menu in your binder in the room for The Rose & Kettle restaurant and you should really update that." Are you kidding me! And <i>you </i>should check out on time!!!! You check out 1 1/2 hours late and I should be reprimanded for not keeping up with the changing menus of the restaurants in the area!!!!<br />
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I keep adding more and more things in the rooms or in the lobby. Along with that updated menu, you will now see a frame in the room, complete with check out hours.<br />
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Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-15770228638748686632011-08-15T13:34:00.002-04:002011-08-15T18:01:46.208-04:00A Vacation During the Summer - Unheard Of!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">When we got the invitation for the Macaluso Family Reunion, at first I thought, George and Aidan would go and I would stay home and watch the inn. We've never left the inn for a long period of time in the seven years we've been open. George really wanted us all to go as a family and after talking to Emily, one of our employees, we decided that not only was she willing to take on the responsibility, she was more than capable. So what started as a one day away family reunion, ended up being a five day glorious all expenses paid Caribbean cruise! Well, not exactly, but that is how I looked at it! It was five days away from the inn. And that's all that mattered. But before we visited friends/family/and the Jersey Shore, we had to make sure everything was taken care of. First we called the local Bed & Biscuit Getaway for our dogs. (What a better name than kennel!) The owner said to George, "Oh, you're trying to get away DURING THE SEASON! That is never going to work!" Ok, that didn't make me feel better!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">It was 9:30 pm on Friday and we were leaving Emily in charge Saturday morning. I was packing and writing 175 yellow sticky notes to be left around the inn. Then we got a phone call from one of our rental house guests. Now this particular rental house guest had already been stressed to the max. In all of the years that we have had rental houses, we have never, not once double booked. But this time, well, something went awry and I found out several weeks ago, that I had done it. Two separate renters/one house. Not good! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Thank god we had our own house to fall back on because we were able to put one of the renters into our own house. Ok, good, they were happy. It wasn't a nightmare anymore. Until they arrived at the house to check in! On our property we have two houses. One is ours, a one family house and the other is our Pottery House, a two family rental house. Both have separate driveways. So here it was 9:30 pm and the couple who had originally been double booked show up at our house to check in. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">9:30 pm/Phonecall:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Hi, Tina, we are at the house to check in. What house is it? There are two houses on the property."<br />
"The one on the right."<br />
"The lights are on in that one."<br />
<i> Did I leave the lights on when I was there earlier. I guess.</i><br />
"That's ok, I must of just left them on."<br />
"But the TV is on too."<br />
N<i>ow I know I didn't leave that on. Oh crap!</i><br />
"Can you hold on a minute?"<br />
<i> George, there is someone in our house. WTF! Why would there be someone in our house!!!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Hi, I'm back again, are you sure you are at the right house? Maybe you're at our neighbors."<br />
"There is a red wall in the living room. And the TV is on and stuff is in the living room."<br />
<i> Oh this is bad.</i><br />
"Can you hold on a minute more?"<br />
<i> George what are we going to do??? You have to go over there!!! Who is in there??? </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><i></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">George, always the calm in my tropical storm, says, maybe it's the other renters. Maybe they went to the wrong house. I called the renters up on their cell phone. Because of course, there was no one at our house, even though all the lights and two TV's were on! Why yes, they did move into our house, along with moving into the other house!!! After renting a 5-bedroom 2-family house, imagine their luck when they showed up at the house and found a "bonus" house on the property. The Pottery House renter said they thought, "well, now this is too good to be true. This is more space than we even need."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Even though I want so very much to be that calm, even keeled person - the crazy came out in me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><i>How can anyone think that they get a "bonus" house!!!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">George went over there and took care of everything. But the people who had mistakenly moved in, REALLY MOVED IN. George had to reclean the entire house, while the poor double-booked couple waited in the driveway for 2 hours. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">George finally came home after midnight. Oh this was going to be a rough week. The following morning, Emily showed up at 6:30 to start taking care of things. While we packed and finished getting things ready for her, one of our guests came up to me and asked to book a room for next year. The weekend she wanted already had 11 rooms booked with the last room on hold. I told her I would let her know as soon as I found out if that room was being taken. Five minutes later her husband went up to George and asked to book that last room. George told him I had already told his wife that I would be in touch with her as soon as I found out about the room. About 20 minutes later, Emily came up to me and said that the wife had gone up to her and told her that I had said it was ok to book that last room but to talk to Emily about the booking</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><i>. Are you kidding me? They were trying to sneak-book that last room!</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The following morning while we were gone, Emily called me to tell me that while she was making waffles for the guests, that particular woman came up to her to tell her that the Raisin Bran container was low. Emily looked up at it and saw that it still had 1/3 cereal in it and that it could wait. But I guess the woman was insulted that Emily did not immediately take action because she then went over to the cereal dispenser, put a bowl under it and turned the dial until all the cereal was emptied. Even though it overflowed out of the bowl and onto the table and floor. This is one of those times that I wish I was at the inn, but probably best that I wasn't. Emily's response: cleaned up the mess; George's response would have been: Excuse me, what is wrong? Can I help you with something; My response: What the F@$K! is wrong with you?? Why the hell would you do that???. Yeah, probably best I was getting my tan on at the time. Boy do I need this vacation! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">So aside from some minor repairs that our girls all took care of, everything actually went smoothly at the inn. Between phone calls and texting, we were kept abreast of all that was going on. And we felt confident that everyone was happy. And no more phone calls from any of the rental houses. It was a wonderful five days away. Maybe we can do this every month! </span>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-72099883307792351502011-06-16T10:18:00.003-04:002011-06-16T10:26:18.245-04:00Everything's Not Always as it SeemsWhen we moved up by Cooperstown, we were surprised to learn that there is a large community of Amish people here. Over the years we have befriended several of them. A wonderful simple lifestyled group of people, they have worked for us doing construction with George and housekeeping at the inn. A couple years back when we had one of the girls work for us, she was barraged with questions from the other housekeepers and myself. George also finds himself asking his workers many questions. It's such a different lifestyle that it's hard to believe people live like that in this day and age.<br />
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Well maybe not so different really. The other day while working on the new rooms, George had a couple of Amish working with him. He walked into the room and noticed a particularly familiar stance. The 16 year old Amish boy had his back to him, elbows out, head bowed. For a second you would almost think he was praying. But having a 16 year old ourselves, George immediately recognized this position! He was praying to the texting Gods! Something was quickly shoved into this 16 year old's pocket. George noticed a distinct outline. "Jeremiah, do you have a cell phone??," George asked. "Wah, wah, what?" "Come on, you heard me, do you have a cell phone?" Then just a slight smile came across these two Amish faces. The older one even asked to borrow our boat that evening. He said he had driven a boat before and George really likes him, so he gave him the keys. <i>What? Isn't that like driving a car? That's allowed in the Amish handbook?</i> I have a feeling that handbook gets rewritten every year.<br />
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We are familiar with many of the last names of the Amish here. So a while back when we received an online reservation under one of these familiar names, I thought, <i>Oh they must have relatives coming to visit.</i> <i>Would I have to turn the electricity off in that room? How would it work?</i> But that seemed wrong. They would most likely stay at the Amish home. I was so curious to see if they were Amish when they checked in.<br />
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I was downstairs at the front desk and George was upstairs when they arrived. In walked a young husband and wife and their three children. All dressed in very fashionable summer clothes. Other than their clothes everything else <i>screamed </i>Amish. They had the accent and a very distinct Amish look to them. It took everything I could to hold in my, "<i>Oh my God, are you Amish? Why are you dressed like that?</i>" No, I know, that would be wrong. So I pretended not to notice.<br />
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The mom and dad looked around the lobby while the three little boys sat on the couch in perfect formation. I excused myself for a second and ran up the stairs to get George. "<i>You have to come down. There are Amish in our lobby dressed in really cool clothes!</i>" We ran down the stairs and walked casually back into the lobby. George introduced himself and talked to the couple about the Baseball Hall of Fame and other attractions. Then, never being one to mince words, George said, "You know, your last name is a very popular Amish last name." <i>WHAT?? WHAT did you just say? I thought we were pretending not to notice!!!</i><br />
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It was then that they explained that they were raised Amish and left their community when they were adults. They seemed to enjoy talking about their Amish upbringing, so I was glad George brought up the elephant in the room. I don't think I would have had the nerve to. Between this couple and all the Amish people we have come in contact with, we realize they are not so different than us. They like a lot of the same things that we do, and as the Amish handbook keeps being rewritten, it won't be long before we see them, out and proud, holding their cell phones in public and texting each other, instead of actually talking to one other, like the rest of us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1g-w9K6YrYB5CeDe2YrfL9ZXAYSJtxXn8jROQ_gmg9glsCj46MrV3pEqSCqgYvUuhrubXob_dht1kceSEh8Ix3ozHm4a6wYfVfOn4u2bKoKvjRNSmrYkHc5WXlIZMqSRK4onRiMCEWfR/s1600/amish_website_403355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1g-w9K6YrYB5CeDe2YrfL9ZXAYSJtxXn8jROQ_gmg9glsCj46MrV3pEqSCqgYvUuhrubXob_dht1kceSEh8Ix3ozHm4a6wYfVfOn4u2bKoKvjRNSmrYkHc5WXlIZMqSRK4onRiMCEWfR/s320/amish_website_403355.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-71357599162279371672011-06-08T22:10:00.015-04:002011-06-09T09:14:36.057-04:00A Trip to Cooperstown with "Mom"Baseball isn't just for men, women like it too. A while back this was evident when three sisters and their mother checked in for a "Ladie's Weekend." These four women loved baseball. The sisters, aged 60-70, decided to take "Mom," aged 92, to the Hall of Fame. "She just loves baseball." Well that wasn't the only thing she loved as I was soon to find out.<br />
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That night, after the lobby closed, we got a knock on the door. I opened it and one of the sisters said, "Mom is sick and we are going to need you to come to the room and clean up a bit."<i> Oh man, really?? Can't I just give you a roll of paper towels and call it a night!</i> I thought. Then she said, "Probably are going to need a bucket and a mop. It's pretty messy." This wasn't going to be good!<br />
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I got my cleaning supplies and off I went. I knocked on the door and when the sister opened the door, there was "Mom," tucked in the bed with the covers up around her nose. An almost unrecognizable "Sorry" came out of her mouth. As I walked in I couldn't help but notice the extraordinary amount of liquor bottles lined up on the bureau. <i>OMG, Mom's drunk! Really? Isn't she like really, really old. Couldn't the Hall of Fame trip have been enough? Did they really need to party with mom too??</i><br />
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"It's in there." They pointed to the bathroom. <i>It? Oh this was going to be bad.</i> As I opened the bathroom door and walked in, I wanted to die! It's as if a 90 year old Linda Blair had been in there. Someones head had to have been spinning for this mess to happen. I closed the door and before I did anything, I cried. Yes, cried. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe I would wake up from this nightmare. But no. This wasn't going away until I made it go away.<br />
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Many times our guests have said to us, "We too have always wanted to run an inn. It seems like fun." It's times like this I think of "Mom" and the darker side of innkeeping.Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-91284924443079200202011-05-20T09:35:00.000-04:002011-05-20T09:35:00.534-04:00What Could Possibly Go Wrong??A couple of months ago George came to me with the idea of renovating our garage at the inn to include two more rooms. Our garage consisted of the front 2/3 as George's workshop and the back 1/3 as our Suite. George said he could take the empty space and make a small workshop, a storage room and two brand new rooms and it wouldn't cost us a crazy amount of money since the building is already there. Ok, I said, but I asked, <em>"Is there anything that could go wrong?"</em> What could go wrong? <em>"Any chance that we would have to change the septic or the well??"</em> No, of course not, it's just some 2x4's and some sheetrock. What could go wrong? <em>"Are you sure?"</em> Yeah, I'm sure. <em>"Anything else that you could think of that the building inspector might say we would need? Anything?"</em> Nope. <em>"You sure?"</em> Yes, I'm sure, as he grabbed his drill and nail gun and headed towards the garage.<br />
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Every year George seems to come up with a project. Last year was the baseball field. Yep, that was going to be an easy one too. <em>And</em> not cost a lot of money either. Well he was wrong on that one. After about two weeks of a bulldozer leveling and pushing dirt around, I finally just screamed, <em>"Make them stop!! It's level enough! The Yankees aren't coming to play in our backyard!"</em> <br />
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So back to the these two rooms....that weren't going to be a problem. He framed the rooms, installed the plumbing, installed the electricity, installed the doors/windows, renovated the exterior. It looked great. Now, at this point, he needs it to be inspected so he goes for the permit. <em>This</em>, he <em>probably</em> should have done <em>first</em>. After reviewing the permit application, the inspector informed George that all new temporary residence construction requires a sprinkler system. What? A sprinkler what? Really? This isn't the Best Western. Oh, that doesn't sound cheap!! And it's not!!! The estimated cost - $25,000 and likely to be much more because we would need a holding tank for the water since we are on a well. Just shoot me. <br />
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So now George can't continue working on the rooms until he gets a variance <em>or</em> a set of plans for the sprinkler system. Since we have to wait a month or so for the variance, George decides to also get the sprinkler plans. I immediately ran for my iPhone. George said, what are you doing? I said, "<em>There's gotta be an app for that."</em> But there wasn't. And plans aren't free! First estimate - $2500! Luckily, there's the internet. Chad, from Arizona, was willing to do it for $400. <br />
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Now think about these rooms - on the ground floor with an outside door on one side of the room and an escape window on the other side, no cooking capabilities, non-smoking, and the fire department is three buildings away from us. If there was a fire, the sprinkler system isn't what's going to save someone's life, walking the 10 ft. out the door is! <br />
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We've applied for a variance and are waiting to hear from the state to see what they decide. The local fire chief even wrote a letter stating that he thought the sprinkler system in these two rooms wasn't needed. So here we wait, with our fingers crossed, hoping, praying! For that letter that says we won the lottery. I mean, that our variance went through. And if it doesn't, maybe we <em>will</em> win the lottery. To help pay for this little tiny renovation that wasn't going to have any problems. <br />
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But, as the saying goes - What could possibly go wrong?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JVUBk2YlEsrbruJr06I887ou7DHAdbIs78E6On2OW5etrlvDDf5MgzqkCxufN4Vd_zgJVb3qzkQX101ui7swbnTUYTOhFo5eP0RFMRRUIHnD3bzkPO2IpQL2cf0eKBSqoKGE5aSaTxLn/s1600/super_funny_hilarious_pictures_what_could_possibly_go_wrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JVUBk2YlEsrbruJr06I887ou7DHAdbIs78E6On2OW5etrlvDDf5MgzqkCxufN4Vd_zgJVb3qzkQX101ui7swbnTUYTOhFo5eP0RFMRRUIHnD3bzkPO2IpQL2cf0eKBSqoKGE5aSaTxLn/s320/super_funny_hilarious_pictures_what_could_possibly_go_wrong.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-38580943198454964582011-04-22T17:53:00.000-04:002011-04-22T17:53:02.298-04:00Open For Business<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last Thursday we opened up the inn for our 7th season. I can't believe we have had the inn for this many years. It seems like just yesterday. Normally we open May 1st, but we got a call from a very nice woman who was disappointed that we weren't open this weekend. George had answered the phone that day and being the accommodating person that he is, it didn't take much for him to be convinced to open up two weeks earlier so she and her boyfriend could stay with us. I thought he was crazy. Opening early for one room. Luckily that one room turned into several rooms and we had a very successful five days. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we open for the season, there is always that <em>"Where did we put that?"</em> or <em>"What did we use this for?"</em> or <em>"Did you remember to buy something?"</em> It's like we've been away for years and forget all the things that we normally do. There are so many things to buy and I thought I had everything covered. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since the first night open was a school night, I stayed at our home with Aidan and George stayed at the inn. That first night we only had one room, and that room checked in after 11 pm. George went to bed and left their key outside in an envelope for them. He woke up and found a note outside the door stating that they wanted gluten-free waffles for breakfast. As I was driving Aidan to school, George called me on my cell. "<em>Where's the gluten-free mix?"</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just when I thought I had bought everything!! Usually people let us know that they are gluten free when they reserve their room, so we are always prepared. But this day, at 8:30 am (before the health food store opened), here we were, with no gluten-free waffle mix. Not knowing what else we could serve these guests, I panicked. I ran to the supermarket and found a very sad gluten-free section. Maybe they would like gluten-free cookies or pasta for breakfast. No that wouldn't do. As I was buying gluten-free flour (don't know what I was going to make with it), George called me on my cell. He said that the man that owns Cooperstown Health Foods was at the store and will open the door for me. I flew over there, got the waffle mix, ran to the inn, prepared the batter - all before their 9:30 breakfast time that they had requested. Whew! We did it. </span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then at 9:45 the lobby phone rang. They wanted to know "<em>if they could have room service. All they wanted that morning was coffee.</em>" What!? Really? But you asked for gluten-free waffles, <em>and</em> fruit salad, <em>and</em> eggs, <em>and</em> english muffins. "<em>Do you know what we went through to get this stuff?? Do you know how pretty George set up breakfast for you??"</em> Well we didn't actually say all that, but I think there was some disappointed tone in Georges voice that brought the boyfriend down to the lobby to eat the waffle. By himself. While his girlfriend slept in. Oh well. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next four days passed without a hitch. Everything went smoothly. Tuesday morning as we were closing the inn as the last of the guests checked out, I was grateful for the slow start of the season. Mostly weekends until June. It gives us some time to get in the full swing of things. To be better prepared for all our guests. And to stock up on gluten-free waffle mix. It's gonna be a long season. </span></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-10053370603236691112011-01-06T19:10:00.000-05:002011-01-06T19:10:27.141-05:00You Can Take The Girl Out of Jersey, But.....Cooperstown in the winter... Beautiful! A virtual winter wonderland. There are days when I walk around town in amazement at how peaceful it is here... Well, today wasn't one of those days!<br />
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It started like any other day. Errands to run, bills to pay. An 11 am appointment at an insurance office at the hospital. I arrived at the hospital parking lot at 10:45. It was overly crowded and hard to find a spot. I saw someone leaving and just stopped and waited. I put my blinker on and he got in his car. While I was waiting, a woman came into my aisle approaching from the opposite direction. She sees me, but stops. While the man pulls out of his parking spot, this woman immediately pulls in. WHAT THE $#%&!!!! I beep my horn, she doesn't even turn around. I beep again, she turns off her car.<br />
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And then it happened. My inner Nicky Newarker came out (if you're from New Jersey, you know what this is. It's sort of when you mix the entire cast of MTV's Jersey Shore together). As if possessed by some crazed Snooki, I jumped out of my still running car and ran over to her car. Grabbing a hold of her door (and thinking, I hope it's unlocked because if it's not, my entire scare tactic isn't going to work) and yes, pulled that unlocked door wide open. Startled, she turned around to look at me. I yell, "<i>Get out of my spot!!!</i>" But I'm thinking to myself, Who am I??? What am I doing??? This is Cooperstown, no one acts like this here. I am still yelling, "<i>How do you do that? Just take someone elses spot after they have been waiting like that.</i>" She replies, "<i>From where I'm sitting, it looks like it's my spot.</i>" WHAT?! Omg! I'm, I'm gonna...... tell on her.<br />
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I then yell, "<i>I'm getting the guard!</i>" What am I thinking here? I could have yelled, <i>"I'm telling my mother or I'm telling the teacher.</i>" It would have all sounded the same. Like I was 10. So here I go. I run to the guard's little cubicle and tell him someone took my spot. He looks at me like I am totally out of my mind. I run back and the woman is now walking away from her car. I start yelling with a smile, "<i>Hey, the guard wants to see you!!!</i>" She walks back as the middle aged "can't I just get back to my crossword puzzle" guard waddles over. He says, "<i>What seems to be the problem here.</i>" I reply, "<i>She took my spot and I was waiting for it for 10 minutes</i> (ok maybe it was more like 3, but it seemed really long). <i>She just pulled right in! Tell her to get out of it!</i>" The guard looks at me and yawns, "I<i> can't do that!</i>"<br />
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Wait! What? You're the guard! You are supposed to combat evil spot stealers! This is when the bitch from hell looks at me and smiles, "<i>Well, I've got to go now, have a good day.</i>" I reply in my best adolescent voice "<i>No, YOU have a good day. What comes around, goes around!</i>"<br />
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As I get back in the car, I realize I am shaking. Thank god another spot opened up 3/4 of a second later. Ok, it wasn't like I was never going to get another spot, but I did not want to be stepped on. My God, road rage is an ugly thing. Hopefully I will not run into her in the future. Maybe she was from out of town and not from this teeny tiny town where we run into everyone at the supermarket one time or another. It could get really ugly if she cuts me off at the deli counter.<br />
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This just goes to show, that even after six years in upstate NY, you really can't take the Jersey out of the girl.<br />
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<i>PS: I'm not too sure you can take the Jersey out of the boy either. After the meeting, I called George from my cell phone and he said, "I can be over there in 10 minutes. I can slit her tires." WHAT? Who are we? I'm pretty sure George was kidding. I've never actually seen him slit anyone's tires. But you never know. This Jersey thing, it's hard to get rid of.</i>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-8374081917696813592010-12-20T23:02:00.001-05:002010-12-20T23:16:07.021-05:00Happy Holidays!<div style="text-align: center;">We wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and a wonderful healthy New Year!! </div><div style="text-align: center;">We hope to see you all next season!!<br />
<br />
George, Tina & Aidan</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQ2IToxUHAu6ji_WKJScTdsNo6xPfIFZv-XYsewqian7Efc8s-yeqUjzKlYkhGOgaYXrZnFXFynUfh82XW6BlB05O1Ud_wM3fc3G8GxrwHb11eHrUy0SugWuOo5wY9GxkpKaGzJoqd24P/s1600/winter5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQ2IToxUHAu6ji_WKJScTdsNo6xPfIFZv-XYsewqian7Efc8s-yeqUjzKlYkhGOgaYXrZnFXFynUfh82XW6BlB05O1Ud_wM3fc3G8GxrwHb11eHrUy0SugWuOo5wY9GxkpKaGzJoqd24P/s320/winter5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3343288769100415174.post-85887521304600338242010-11-27T23:06:00.005-05:002010-12-06T10:20:59.304-05:00A Thanksgiving to Remember!When George suggested we host Thanksgiving for his family this year, I thought, "<em>Really? No, we can't do it. It's so many people, for so many days</em>." I was nervous, I'll admit. Living 4 hours away from family, hosting a dinner party is a little different than hosting it 20 minutes away from family. Everyone stays. For days. <br />
<br />
I broke down and said, "<em>Ok, I can do this</em>." Arrival started Wednesday afternoon. There was Mom and Dad, and Aunt and Friends. Next day, Cousins, and Brothers and their families. All totaled, 21 people arrived. Luckily, we have a guest house, so we were able to house everyone. It was gonna be great. Or so I thought...<br />
<br />
Owning the inn, I thought, "<em>How hard can this be? We're used to serving breakfast to many people everyday. We can do this"</em>. And it went off without a hitch. Everything turned out perfect. The kids played. The adults bonded. It was better than I ever thought it could be. I was relaxed <i>and </i>had a wonderful time with everyone!!<br />
<br />
It was a picturesque several days. Friday evening Santa arrived by horse drawn wagon in Cooperstown. It was beautiful. The kids loved it. It couldn't have been better. <br />
<br />
Until.... <i>It hit</i>. One of the kids had arrived with a tiny...... <em>lingering</em>...... STOMACH VIRUS!!! Noooooooooooo!<br />
<br />
Late Friday evening, the first round of vomiting. My two sister-in-laws at the same time sharing the same top floor apartment with only one bathroom in the guest house. Picture a slapstick version of The Exorcist. Where a vomiting Linda Blair <i>falls </i>into (<em>literally</em>) a second vomiting Linda Blair right around the kitchen corner. Let's just say... It wasn't pretty. Next, my mother-in-law. As I write this, she is still at the hospital with George. Dr. says she's going to be fine. But, at one point, I actually heard the words, "<em>I think I'm dying</em>." Then I got the phone call that George's cousin was hit with it after he got home. <br />
<br />
Wait, it was all so beautiful only 24 hours ago! With everyone gone now, I've started the sterilization process. Masked, gloved and praying. Hopefully there won't be any more victims. We'll know in 48 hours if everyone else is safe. Although with all the sickness, it was still <i>almost </i>perfect. Even my sister-in-law, Glynis, shaking and feverish when she left, texted us to say how wonderful the holiday was. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for our family and friends! <em>And</em> I am thankful that no one died on my first-ever hosting of Thanksgiving. It will definitely be.. a holiday to remember.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwQzh0RvUHs3CF8lYtZDX1PcMOW8cgxMJqlU1jIr7IB2DkgeeZXmx4YaHhKWESYjfxB_t-yVOGmIr6IOnJlxpoujCn_U5wLcqZCvmTOV44b6FkDaoKatEw9JNrxmcT6MrvPJs3QxF0zXv/s1600/turkey-letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwQzh0RvUHs3CF8lYtZDX1PcMOW8cgxMJqlU1jIr7IB2DkgeeZXmx4YaHhKWESYjfxB_t-yVOGmIr6IOnJlxpoujCn_U5wLcqZCvmTOV44b6FkDaoKatEw9JNrxmcT6MrvPJs3QxF0zXv/s320/turkey-letter.jpg" width="222" /></a></div></div>Tina Macalusohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01737260375029210485noreply@blogger.com3