My job consists of sitting behind a desk for 8 hours at a time, performing menial tasks that involve checking people in, checking people out, doing laundry, sweeping and mopping, and fighting off the creepers whose eyes wander too much.
The other day, I had a mountain of laundry to do, so I decided to keep a tally of exactly how much it was. The washers and dryers there are monstrous, but of course there were still several load's worth.
Here is the final score:
King Size Sheets - 16
Double Sheets - 37
Hand Towels - 24
Washcloths - 24
Bathmats - 18
Pillowcases - 63
Bath towels- 41
Rags - 104
In 3 1/2 hours, I washed (and soaked the rags in bleach), dried, folded, and neatly put away 327 separate pieces of laundry.
You can't BUY skills like those. I should hire myself out.
I must say, there is some sort of satisfaction in going into the laundry room behind the front desk, seeing dirty stuff everywhere, piled in all of the carts, some on the floor....and then leaving 3 hours later with the shelves all full of neat stacks of clean sheets and towels.
Maybe most people don't find that satisfying, but I've always had an appreciation for organization...even if it doesn't show in the state of my room most of the time.

I found a small thing of pepper spray and a pocketknife in the drawer at the front desk. It gives me a small amount of comfort to know that it's there, even though honestly I have no idea how to use either. Pepper spray seems simple enough--point, spray. But I would probably be endangering myself even more to break the knife out, the assailant would most likely get it away from me in 2.5 seconds and use it to his advantage.
However, with all of the truckers and possible recently-escaped-inmates that seem to frequent the honorable establishment that I work at (and honestly, it's a nice hotel as far as Super 8's go...it's clean and respectable), I feel better knowing that there is a small stash of weaponry within my grasp.

If anyone ever tried to hold the place up though, I wouldn't put up a fight. Is that bad? I would walk to the cash register, empty it into their hands, and call the police after I was very sure my life wasn't in danger. I'm not the heroic, run-and-try-to-get-help kind of person, I guess. Of course, I've never been in that situation, so maybe adrenaline would take over and I'd go all ju-jitsu on his butt.

Besides all of that, my life has progressed into a pleasant sort of busy-ness...the kind I really need. I have time to spend with my family at home, time to get my school work done on the computer, time to go to church and hang with friends, but I also am getting a relatively substantial weekly paycheck. God is probably smiling at the fact that I am having to stop chafing over being here for an indefinite period and just commit to His timing.

Today I took on the huge task of revamping my wall. After coming back from a year away, I decided that the wall on my side of the room wasn't really in my taste anymore. So I took down what seemed like hundreds of magazine pages, pictures, etc. (which doesn't seem too bad until you account for having to try and get particles of stick tack off of the wall...four per picture. My hand isn't working so well.) Now, I have a few framed pictures, and 3 little cork boards with ribbons across them (that I made, and they look darn good if I might add) for the random pictures and such.
I also switched out my bright summer bedset for a yellow fluffy one...probably in wishful thinking that there is going to be cool weather soon. Unfortunately, I don't have pillowcases for my pillows that match the new comforter, so I'm still going with the crazy colors on those.
It looks better...more mature and subdued. The whole "entire wall covered in cool stuff" wasn't working for me anymore.

Bekah