Saturday, November 13, 2010

Things Are Tough All Over

Even cats are losing their jobs.

Yes, it's sad but true. The hotel cats were laid off/fired. Apparently they weren't doing the job for which they were hired -- catching mice. Of course in my opinion, it didn't help that they were being fed plenty of cat food. That took away their incentive to catch the mice. Plus they weren't given much of a chance -- only a week and a half before they were fired.

They were replaced with mousetraps. At least they weren't forced to train their replacements.

And the cats are being given new opportunities; the general manager took one home and one of the desk clerks took the other one home.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Fall Back

It's the end of Daylight Saving Time.

For most people, the consolation prize for losing an hour of daylight is getting an extra hour of sleep. For those of us who work a vampire shift (11pm to 7 am) that doesn't apply. Our consolation prize is getting (!) an extra hour of work. Instead of working 8 hours I'll work 9. Of course I'll get paid for working 9 hours.

Somehow last spring when time "sprang forward" and I got to work 7 hours instead of 8, I was still paid for 8. I'm not complaining (although I am complaining about not getting that extra hour of sleep!).

In related news, the hotel where I work (which shall remain nameless) recently acquired 2 cats in hopes of keeping the mice under control. The cats are supposed to stay in the basement, but try telling the cats that. I haven't seen them, but one of the desk clerks saw one the other night near the kitchen. The cat ran in front of her, nearly tripping her and generally freaking her out; she's allergic to cats and is also a little afraid of them. Health laws prohibit the cats from being in the kitchen, restaurant, and bar, but again -- try telling the cats that. Besides, that's where the mice are. This could be interesting.