Saturday may 18, 2013

The day has come. 1 hour earlier than scheduled but I'm up on a beautiful morning in Vegas. After a busy night at work and a good 4 hour nap, I'll be getting on an airplane headed for Mexico City. It's been 8 long years. Last time I was planning on opening a store and the trips where for business purposes so they were quick. I also didn't have 5 kids roaming around the house or needing so much of my time, but I cannot blame them. It's always been my procrastination and so called "work responsibilities" but not anymore.

Thank stony wife for my early birthday present so now it's time to head into the shower, then into an airplane.

One Day to Go

It is Friday morning and one more day of work. Well, still Thursday since I haven't gone to sleep. Suitcase is packed, cameras charging and tomorrow one final list with last minute toiletry stuff and then, come Saturday morning head out to the airport.
I'm really looking forward to this trip. Away from everything.
It was a long time coming.

Mexico

I am leaving for Mexico on Saturday morning.

I'm very excited since its been 8 years since I last stepped foot on the motherland. 

Turns out that Melissa bought me tickets to fly there. For the longest time I'm always talking about going there and because of procrastination or other reason- work, I've always managed not to go. This time though, she made it happen. 

Since its been so long, I've decided not to let anyone know that I'm going there. This means I'm  just going to show up at my sister's door un-announced and surprise the heck out of them. I hope it goes well.

I've already told some of my close relatives that I'm going to Mexico anyways but made it a point to tell them not to say anything on Facebook, since everyone we know happens to be on at all times.

Alex, my best-est cousin, close to being a brother knows. He lives in Oaxaca, though it may be a quick overnight trip to go see him and his mom.

The other person that knows is my niece, who lives in Minnesota  and whose mom I'm also gonna see (my oldest sister) along with my mom, they live in Cuernavaca.

I am also planning on seeing some I my cousins that I grew up with. I hope they are available since we've been estranged for the longest time.

It's time for a family reunion of sorts.

Spend 24 Hours With Me

It's 7:52 in the morning.
My daughter left about half an hour ago to go to school, not before waking me up at about 7:10AM so I could give her some cash she needed for school.
She did not walk into my bedroom to wake me rather, she tapped me on the shoulder since I slept on the couch downstairs with the triplets. They were up at 3:00AM crying because of bad dreams or just because they felt like waking up. This is a common occurrence every night though sometimes they go right back to sleep. Not last night, rather than be up trying to get them all back to bed, I chose to set up the couch as a makeshift bed and that's where we spent the night.
It's 9:51
My son left at 8:30 to catch the bus for school- his last year in middle school. i hear my wife get in the shower while I'm enjoying some morning coffee and briefly attempt to read a book I've had for a few months now.
The babies are on their second round of feeding-cereal mixed with yogurt. Luckily no mess or tipped over bowls yet.
My wife just left for work after a brief chat about the usual mundane stuff; work, sleep issues, getting on each other's case about petty shit and an ever so brief pecker on her way out the door. God, what happened to passion?
11:00
Everyday the house looks like a giant bomb full of toys exploded sending "debris" in every direction. The smallest ones are the most dangerous if you don't see them and step on one.
You know the feeling. As soon as you step on it, your toes curly as you prepare to dive rather than stab your foot.
My brother and his wife stopped by to drop off their daughter for the weekend. Thank God, cause I sure needed a nap before getting ready for work.
It's funny how the relationship with your siblings affects that of your children and your brother or sister.
My brother pops in frequently from across town, just to see the babies. The love him.
After doing some dishes, picking up some toys, feeding the dog and hanging out with my brother, it is time for my nap.
One of the babies decides that she'll nap with me. That means a good half hour of her in bed watching Yo GABA GABA
till she falls asleep.
2:00PM
I can faintly hear the phone ringing downstairs as I begin to wake up.
Time for a shower and the everyday ritual of getting ready for work.
TV is on for background noise- either sports or news.
Finish shower and shave. Iron a shirt, pick a tie and suit and now it's
2:35
Kiss the babies good bye - that's a whole 10 minutes with triplets and out the door at 2:45.
3:05- A Vegas cab smacked right into a palm tree on Las Vegas Boulevard with plenty of cops and ambulances blocking the lane where I turn in to get to work. As it is, I'm about 5 minutes late.
3:45 - done checking emails - about 50 since I left last night at 12:30AM.
6:15PM
Restaurants are open, good number of reservations and it should get busier as the night progresses. Had lunch at 4:00 with managers, pre-shit at 4:30 and 4:45 with staff and since then, I've already talked to a guest who found a hair in his salad.
Very valid complaint but of course he was not happy with his replacement salad, because the arugula was "not fresh" it was yellowing and we should not be serving it.
Much too picky. And it's not even 7:00PM.
8:17PM
Of all people, I am getting players club cards for the performers for tomorrow; They are having diner at one of the restaurants as I'm typing this.
It's very common in this industry to wait and tend to some people that are famous semi-famous or nobodies who think they're somebody.
In this case she's a singer that's been around for a number of years in Mexico.
9:56
Much less business than I was expecting. All restaurants and lounges are very quiet for a Friday night. On nights like this staff are sent home early, stations adjusted and those that stay over prepare for tomorrow.
Tomorrow there is a big fight next door at MGM and that affects our business in a positive way so being ready is imperative. As for tonight it's over. I must place orders for tomorrow and adjust payroll as well for all my staff.
I also have to post the schedule for next week, that should have been posted last night.
Throughout the night, I've called home and talked to my wife briefly, I've also talked to guests at tables to ensure satisfaction. I also do the rounds and check on all other Food and Beverage venues and talk to the managers at those locations.
11:00PM
Walk into Room Service area and a pipe has leaked into floor from ceiling.
11:30PM everyone has left both restaurants now it's time for staff to clean and put restaurants back together for tomorrow.
Last minute filing, ordering payroll, etc and there went the day at work.
12:30AM
Driving home
1:00 get into bed and attempt to bear hug my wife.
2:00AM
Up and let the dog out.
2:30AM
Up and put Charlie back to bed with a fresh cup of juice.
6:00AM
All babies up and ready for yard sale

Rough Life

As much as I may say that everything is peachy and great, which it really is, sometimes everything seems hopeless and I feel defeated. 3 babies will do that to you. They get on your nerves, they fight, they scream for no reason and its the same every hour of the day. The only respite comes when they go down for a nap. However, even that's not easy.
They go willingly to their beds but that's about it. From then on, they begin by tossing everything from their beds, blankets, juice cups, babies (stuffed animals) and then they proceed to jump and jump on their beds. Some other times they empty out all the drawers and toss everything onto the floor.
Of course I can hear them, even from downstairs.
So up the steps I go and threaten them a few times. I also stand in the room hoping that they will just go to sleep quietly. No sooner do I walk away and the tapping from little feet begins.
There is no moment that I am alone, I may be in the room with them while I'm ignoring their tantrums or whining but again, it does not qualify as being alone.
I need time to myself and I know my wife feels the same. We are so in the same boat and together in it.
We need time to ourselves and even when we manage to get the time, the babies find a way of "ruining" it.
You would think they plan it all, including getting sick so we don't leave them with other people while we get away.
Perhaps they think we're going to abandon them.
They're on to us.

Revelation

As dreams go, this one is one of the more detailed and meaningful that I've had in a long time. Not that I pretend to know what it means.
There is a "bus" buried deep beneath in Palestine. I'm just saying Palestine in general because the actual name on my dream was "Hamas"
The other revelation is foggy and i cannot remember at all what it was about, but it was just as important.
Getting back to the "bus"
In my dream, the discovery of this find was becoming general knowledge to all and it was freaking people out while others were "preparing", not sure what for but I was one of them.
Everyone was going through their belongings and keeping only those with personal meaning. I had found Melissa had kept a box with a few outfits that the babies had worn and those we were keeping. Everything else was getting tossed.
Scientists had discovered a metal cylinder deep underground in "Hamas" freaky thing was that it was deep underground meaning it had been buried hundreds if not thousands of years ago.
This cylinder was of alien origin and paired with the other event, it set in motion a big event on earth.
It wasn't anything negative or destructive like the Tom Cruise movie, War of the Worlds.
Dream ended with me and my wife meeting at a parking lot up a mountain, where we were leaving her red Honda parked and knowing I wouldn't see it ever again.
Then I woke up.
I wish I could remember what the second revelation was.

When things are slow

No matter where you work or what you do, when things are "slow" everyone loafs around. In this case, staff are watching tv. Caught "in fraganti"
Of course the excuse was, they were talking to the bartender. All three? I doubt it.

Going to jail

Im sitting in the security office with security guards, a metro officer and our detainee. He's sitting on a bench with his hands behind him handcuffed while he stares at his dark sneakers. He's not sleeping or even fighting back, he's just staring at his shoes, perhaps thinking if his shoes would afford him the diner he just had.

He walked into one of our restaurants asking for a table. He looked run down but not too dirty to call attention to himself. I guess in retrospect I should have looked more carefully. Shoes have a way of telling a lot about someone's personality and or "status" in life; and his sneakers told me that he'd had a rough few days; dirty and dark and of a good brand. His clothes didn't say much other than being dark in color so no three day dirt showed. The smell though was there. Of this I was told by the waitress, who got much closer to him than I did and she was also the one that knew he was a "bum" and therefore had no money to pay.
At first it seemed a bit preposterous and condescending. It's very easy for some people to "profile" others by the way they "look" and I did not want to partake into the profiling game.
In my eyes the guy looked like he belonged in ours and or any other restaurant. Nonetheless, I told her just to wait till the end and to continue with service.
Sure enough after she dropped the check, he swiftly went for the door. Three steps behind came the server trotting in my direction while waving the check presenter with a sixty dollar tab inside.
Mr. Dirty sneakers had treated himself to a nice dinner of a Caesar Salad, seafood pasta and dessert. I'm surprised he did not order a bottle of Champagne to celebrate his outing but that would have called to much attention to himself.
I took the check from the server and quickly turned to follow dirty shoes.
As if by an act of magic worthy of David Copperfield, one of our security guards was standing by the hostess podium. With a quick motion, I asked him to keep an eye on our shoe guy while I caught up to him. I asked him how he intended to pay for his bill. With a look in his eyes that spike the truth, he managed to say that he was just going to the restroom and would be returning to pay the bill.
Not sure why I agreed but I showed him where the restroom was. The security guard was still on the look out when the shoe guy eventually came out. Of course he started walking out in the opposite direction from where he had just had a sumptuous meal.
Other guards arrived quickly. It must have been a slow night on the floor.
Procedure is to take the suspect down to "the office" while handcuffed until the proper authority comes and makes the arrest official.
Turns out that Mr. Dirty shoes had no record and was from out of town. He had a receipt from a local pawn shop where he apparently had turned in an apple lap top for an undetermined amount of money.
By the time he waked into our restaurant, he had probably gambled it all.
He was charged with "intent to defraud an innkeeper", cited and released.

The plot thickens

So our Food and beverage director is leaving our hotel and it turns out that he is not the only one. I just found out that another one of our managers is also leaving which just makes it a little more interesting because now, aside from needing a VP of food and beverage and perhaps a food and beverage director, the only people left are; the director of restaurants and 6 other managers, including me. Sounds like enough mangers, but it really isn't, when you consider that besides a full casino floor with bars and lounges, we have 3 restaurants, 2 of which I manage, one a full service 24 hour service restaurant a room service department, a Starbucks and a food court.
So,
Ideally, the 24 hour restaurant should have 3 managers, the room service should have 2 and the two remaining fine dining rooms, should have 3 managers total.
The casino bar areas also should be a 3 manager team to cover all shifts and 7 days, with the help of an overnight manager to oversee all areas.
That's 11 managers, not including directors.
Yes. We are missing 5 managers.
Will we get them all? No. We'll just be stretched all over and work all shifts and at all restaurants.
That is until the new VP arrives and presents a plan for the new F&B team at The New Tropicana.
Work just got more interesting.

Uncertainty

Confusion, turmoil, uncertain, troubled, conflicted,

Bad Time

Having a rough time; depression is not fun when your mind wanders around. Gotta stay busy