Not at All Manic Monday

It's 8:45 and I'm bored already. Seems that the craziness that was yesterday has passed. Already averted one minor crisis today.... the lack of milk at Continental Breakfast. I totally side with the guests on this one... you can't have a continental breakfast without milk! I got so upset when the dining hall at AU was out of milk during finals week. Just not acceptable.

So, I suppose I can fulfill my promise to tell you more about some of those "teasers" I posted awhile back.

Let's see.. we'll start with:

• Gossip. I am not sure whether it's because I'm a good listener or just a captive audience stuck behind a desk, but other employees love to gossip to me. Usually, it's about colleagues, sometimes bosses, and sometimes about guests, particularly the obnoxious kind. I know who's made about person x's promotion, who can't stand their boss, and what guests were absolute slobs and horrible tippers. I also know when the housekeepers catch a quick cat nap, sneak out for a smoke break, or work through lunch so they can leave early. I do, however, tend to keep this gossip to myself, unless I am instructed otherwise.

• Conferences. I shudder typing that word. Right before our chautauqua season begins, we host 3 conferences right in a row. These are groups from churches of a particular denomination from across the state. Each of these groups have slightly different reputations. The one in the middle consists mostly of young adults, and thus tend to be loud but tolerable, though their rooms tend to be trashed. The first tends to have a lot of big tippers and gracious people, with a few bad eggs mixed in... and the last? Ugh. These are the folks with the biggest entitlement complex, the lowest sense of empathy, and the least patience. Conferences in general means that every employee on the Chautauqua complex is absolutely streched beyond their means. Most people work overtime, and 14-hour workdays are not uncommon. Thus, Conferences are dreaded, and take at least a week to recover from.