Home Sweet Home

Lamb's Ear surrounded by sage, holly and wild rose

Today is my day off.  Mondays and Tuesdays are my 'weekends off".  The only thing I have planned for today is a dump load delivery of top soil for our three river birch trees that we had delivered last Monday.  We didn't have the dirt delivered last week because of the rain.  So what is it doing today?  Yep, it's raining.  Maybe they will deliver the dirt anyway.  Bill and I would like to build that mound of dirt up around the newly planted birch trees before the hot weather descends upon our coastal home here on the eastern shore of Delaware.  Now I see the sun streaming through my window.  It's going to be one of those days.....rain, clouds, then sun then back to rain.  One thing about this kind of weather, it makes for a lush, green landscape.

The plants in the picture are two of my favorite plants....sage and Lamb's ear.  I brought the Lamb's Ear with me from our home in Pennsylvania.  I like to keep the connection going between the two homes.  By the way, yesterday an open house was conducted at our former home in Pennsylvania.  A few months ago our former home was sold at a sheriff's auction.  The former owner couldn't keep up the monthly payments so he walked away from the once beautiful property.  Our former home, which we used to call "Whispering Pines" is now a Grey Gardens.  So sad.  If I wasn't working yesterday, Bill and I would have attended to the open house.  I look at the pictures posted on the Internet of the interior of our former home and am reminded of all the history that took place in those rooms during our twenty-five years of residence.  Now it is empty, ready to be rescued and brought back to life.  If I had the money I would buy it back.

Someday in the future, after we're long gone here this home will be for sale.  The new owners will have no idea of all the history that is being made right now at this home.  I figure we have at least ten good years here.  At least I do.  Bill is 82 so he would be 92 years old.  I would never have believed that I would be living with an 82 year old man back in my arrogant youth but here I am.  Ten years from now I'll be 79 years old.  Wow.  Now that is Serious Old.  But I plan to be around, still pumping out my blogs and experimenting with new plants in my back yard.  Now that we've passed yet another End of the World deadline, I can plan.  By the way, any word from Harold Camping?  He's being very quiet.  Maybe God's talking to him, explaining why he postponed His plans for the end of the world.

The Rapture is Delayed

Well folks, here we are on May 22, 2011, the day AFTER the much ballyhooed END OF TIMES by Harold Camping, the 89 year old evangelical radio preacher.  Nothing has been heard of Harold since his predicted 'end of times" didn't happen  yesterday at 6 pm precisely.  Perhaps Mr. Camping is coming up with yet another reason why God has decided not to destroy humankind as we know it and suck up into Heaven the Faithful while letting the rest of us who question religious teachings by charlatans like Mr. Camping to fend for ourselves on earth shaken by earthquakes, floods and volcanic fire and brimstone so confidently predicted by Mr. Camping and his brain dead evangelical followers.  Or perhaps Mr. Camping is holding a video conference with God as I type this blog entry.  Wherever Mr. Camping is holding up now, one would hope that he would provide a logical explanation why we are all still waiting around for the Rapture.  Mr. Camping?  Are you out there?

While we all await Mr. Camping's appearance and words let us consider another "End of the World" message from one of my all time favorite singers, Skeeter Davis.  And oh, all of those of you who foolishly believed the latest Christian evangelical fraud and divested yourself of all of your earthly belongs in anticipation of the Rapture, sorry about that.

The Last Day of Earth

As regular readers of my blog know, I'm not a religious person.  Or more accurately, I'm not a practicing religious person.  I don't believe in what I can "man made religion."  However, I do consider myself a spiritual person.  There are times in my life that I have secretly prayed to 'find the way."  Again, I am not a Bible Thumper and I don't subscribe to the mean spirited version of Christianity (and other religions) that are practiced today.  The religion of fear.  The God that says "Do as I say or I will damn you to the eternal fires of hell."

I don't believe there is a big, muscled, white man with a long white beard and a stern look on his face. wearing a white toga sitting on a golden throne in the sky playing games with those of he supposedly created below on this earth.  Such a game like having me born gay and then threatening me with eternal damnation unless I change my natural born ways.  No, that is not the God or Way that I believe.

This is what I believe.  I believe that you do your best during your stay on this earthy plane, be it only a few years or many years as I have done so far.  While risking another gentle rebuke from one of my favorite bloggers when I refer to my old age I am saying that at this time of my life (69 years and counting) I think a lot about my past years and what few years I have left on this earth (less than I have lived, that's for sure).

I have done some things I haven't been proud of and I have done more things that qualify me as a genuine Christian in my eyes if not the eyes of the organized "man-made" Christian church.  I feel that if there is such a place called heaven, that I will enter through those hallowed gates.  I will again see my friends, family and pets who have predeceased me.  These days I think a lot about this subject.

Today, after a long, hard day of work I opened my e-mails to find this e-mail from a long-time friend of mine.  While I don't agree with the degree to which my long-time friend practices his faith (he believes you have to accept Jesus Christ to enter into Heaven - I do not agree - I think that is the old "man made" interpretation), I do respect his views.

On this day, which an old idiot has claimed to be the Last Day On Earth (and he is an idiot, that is the only way to describe that nut case), I think it was very appropriate that I spent the best part of the day seeing a family (Jewish) prepare for a wedding at the hotel where I work.  All in this family were so happy.  Their joy was overflowing, so much that all my usual cynicism of such a corny family event was washed away.  I left the hotel this afternoon, an hour and a half before the actual ceremony thinking of this young, beautiful couple and the happy life that they have before them.  I thought of all their family and friends who  made the special trip to the hotel where I work to join their ceremony and celebration.

As I write this the couple is now married.  Their family is rejoicing.  All will celebrate through the night and tomorrow, which will be the first day of their new life.

While they're beginning their life, I can see mine coming to and end.  And I have no regrets. Thus it was so appropriate that when I opened my e-mail a few minutes ago and watched this video that reaffirmed the way I feel at this time of my life.

Thank you Bill.

Hanging On

Ryan contemplates "How am I going to do this?"

Last night I worked until 11 pm.  Headed home in the rain.  I got up this morning at 5 am to be at work by 6:30 am.  I have to set up the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  I just got off work from a very busy day.  I do the whole thing over again tomorrow.  Usually I work Wednesday and Thursday nights 3 pm to 11 pm.  However, the past week and the next three weeks I'll be working five days a week, Tuesday through Sunday.  This weekend is the Big Wedding, which is always a fun bonanza.  Actually, the wedding guest haven't been too bad.....so far.  We'll see what tomorrow brings, the day of the Big Wedding.

Ryan unties the ropes

What got me today was one lady who called to make a reservation for next week and wanted me to assure her that there would be NO STRAWBERRIES at the breakfast.  Well folks, we DO HAVE STRAWBERRIES.  She said "I can't even have strawberries NEAR any of the food!"  Well, you know what dearie?  Don't stay at any hotels or go out an eat, that's my advice.

Ryan unloads...the first tree

This is just one example of why I like working at a hotel.  I never ceased to be amazed at what hotel guests request, ask or do.  I've been in the hospitality business for over ten years now and there is always something new that I haven't faced before.  Someday I will have to write a book about my experiences.

Ryan delivers...the first tree.  Beautiful....tree.

For now I'm trying to keep my life in balance and not being too successful.  I have a couple of tons of top soil that is to be delivered next week.  That delivery was delayed because of all the rain and the compost people rightly believed I would be paying for wet dirt.  I need the top soil to build a mound around my new river birch trees.  I had those delivered last week by "Ryan" (a hunk and a half thank you please).

Ron digs a hole (not the first or last he will ever dig)

Sometime next week we have to go to Pennsylvania to my brother's to pick up my Mom's wheelbarrow that is almost brand new and now not used by my brother (he's not a gardener like me).  And to top everything else off one of our sprinkler heads in our irrigation system popped yesterday.  I got home too late to call the irrigation people to come out and fix it.

And cleaning the house?  Forget it.  Now that my whole schedule is disrupted by working full-time, our normally pristine abode will have dust bunnies abounding.

I'm trying to keep up on my blogs.  Stream of consciousness here.  I was talking to my brother about working full-time and he understood completely.  He's also retired.  He said he couldn't do it now.  I'm doing it but I'm struggling.  It's hard to believe that in my previous life I used to commute back and forth to Philly every day and come home and do yard work until dark and on the weekends do all my chores.  Who was THAT PERSON?

A Good Day

Carrie the Plant Lady - one of my co-workers

Yes folks, you read that right.  Today was a good day....at work.  I wasn't happy about going to work today because of what I had heard from one of my co-workers a few days ago.  To be very frank, I felt I was getting to the point where I had had enough.  I work very hard and am damn good at what I do but when I feel I am not recognized, or appreciated or even worse; wrongly accused, then it is time for me to seriously reevaluate the worth of keeping my job.

I've been around long enough to know just about all the scenarios at work.  I had feared the present scenario was going down a familiar path that I didn't want to trod.  For the past two days since I've been off I haven't been in a good mood because I knew I was going to address this perceived problem head on.

Why this particular situation was bothering me so much is that I don't want to quit my job.  I like my job, I like the kind of work I do, I like my co-workers, and hey...I even like my boss and the owner.  Thus when I heard a certain statement referring to me (which I won't go into here because of privacy - I don't know who is reading this blog), it just took all the wind out of my sails.  I work long and hard and I do my damnedest to do a good job and I do a good job.  There was a very good reason why  I won the President's Award in 2000 from the Hilton Hotel Corp as Best Guest Service Representative.  Yes, I won a trip to Disney World ($500.00 cash, four days in Disney World all expenses paid and a plaque).  I am good at what I do.  Something I don't have to be modest about.

Me and my Aunt Mabel with Mickey at Disney World April 2001

But because of a shortsighted comment I heard, I began to question whether or not it was worth it to continue going into work.  I now think I have blown this situation out of proportion.  In fact, after today at work I am certain of it.  So it looks like I will continue to be a hotel front desk clerk at least for the foreseeable future.  And that make me very happy.

Not a Good Day

Today was one of those days in which I questioned should I continue to work at my part-time job at the hotel.  I like working and the extra money makes my life a little easier but there does come a time when the lack of appreciation of the amount and quality of work that I do and the verbal abuse becomes too much.

Without going into details because I suspect some of those I work with read this blog, let's just say I am reevaluating if it is worth it to me to continue to work part-time.  I knew there would  be a problem when I was asked to work full-time (if only temporarily) because I am an easy target.  The irony is that I am not the problem at work.

I'm due back at work on Wednesday.  Let's see how this drama unfolds.  One thing that isn't going to happen is for me to be on the end of unwarranted verbal abuse.  I am a good natured, non-confrontational person but I too can only take so much.  I've just about had enough.

I hesitated posting this blog because it is negative.  Try as I might, I wanted to post something positive today but my heart just wasn't into it.  The past week I've worked so hard and expended myself so much only to be unfairly criticized.  I can understand the criticism but what I will not accept anymore is the manner in which it is delivered.  And what especially galls me is that there is never, NEVER any recognition for all the right things above and beyond that I do every day.  NEVER.

So the best I can do today is post a picture of the pretty flowers that I saw in a local greenhouse yesterday.  Enjoy.

Touching Base

White Rose at the Inn where I work

Just touching base here folks to let everyone know that I am still alive and well.  I worked at the hotel last night 3 pm to 11 pm then in this morning from 7 am to 3 pm.  I don't have to tell you workers out there that I'm operating on exhaust fumes at this point.


Thank goodness my manager hired the replacement full-time front desk clerk today.  This time it is an elderly man like me.  That's good news because unlike the front desk clerk who left, who was a single Mom with two female children, I probably won't have to be called in on short notice like I have been in the past.  You know how it is with the single moms, always one of the children is sick or she can't get a baby sitter.  Us single guys, rarely a crises unless we're passing kidney stones (which happened to me a couple of years ago causing me to miss a week's worth of work).


So here I am folks, pushing off of of these blog postings that I hate to do.  Little content and nothing clever to say for you all to remember and gush over.  Just touching base letting you know I will be on this schedule for at least another two weeks.  The new front desk clerk doesn't start until May 27th.  At least his training will be minimal, he is coming from a job as a hotel front desk clerk.  Thank God for small favors.


The hotel is full this weekend.  As I left today at 3 some  of the kiddies were already in, screaming and talking non-stop.  I can forsee a LOT of calls to the front desk for extra pillows and blankets.  Hopefully I don't get THAT call for the clogged up toilet (a not unusual occurrence when the kids are in the rooms - they tend to throw towels down the toilet - probably one of the reasons our major competitor hotel in town doesn't accept children).


I'm in tomorrow afternoon 3 to 11 and the same hours for Sunday.Then I have two WHOLE days off until I do it all over again...for the next two weeks.


Hold all my calls.