So, I managed to pick up some cold bug from somewhere. I'm saying it's because of the climate change because I never get sick. It's nothing serious. Bad cough; a few aches and pains. I am feeling much better today. A little congested and I have a frog in my throat. I probably could have licked this a lot sooner if I wasn't so set against medicating myself unless it was absolutely necessary. Some people would say that the common cold is reason enough to grab some remedy or another. Not me. I hate popping pills, even for a headache. Besides, I have a pretty strong immune system and can fight off pretty much anything. I also don't like going to the doctor. I would have to be pretty close to dieing to see a doctor. So, I'm wondering. Do I jeopardize my health by not taking medication for little things like a cold or a headache? Hmmmm.

I have been getting calls from people who want to book hotel rooms, but they are missing the two key elements needed. The hotel they want to stay in and the dates they want to travel. Now, I realize that people will shop around to find the best rate, but when they are vague about the dates it is difficult if not impossible to give an accurate rate. Not many people realize that the rate for hotel rooms fluctuate from day to day, sometimes by as much as a hundred dollars or more depending on what is happening in the area. Trust me. I have seen rates jump from 140.00 on Thursday to 250.00 on Friday. Hotel managers do that because if they are close to capacity and there is a big event in the area, they know that someone will take the room at the higher rate. Take today for instance. The normal rate at one of the hotels I book at is around 169.00 per night. Because of the ice storms in the midwest, they have jacked their price to 229.00. They won't get everyone to book, but they know that someone will take the room. The other thing that drives me crazy is when people call and don't know what hotel they want to stay in. I am sorry, but finding a hotel on route 4 between city a and city b is not an easy thing to do. Most of the time it's impossible. My suggestion would be to just stop at a hotel you are interested in and see if they have availability. I guess what I 'm saying is that people need to be more specific when they call to book a room. I can't say that I am sorry if I offend some people with my ranting. Please know that this is my job I am talking about and what I take home depends (not entirely) on how many reservations I make and how much money I make per call. I can't waste my time holding someone's hand while they figure out where they want to go and when they want to travel. This has been a free lesson in Reservation Making 101. To summerize, the two key points you need to book a reservation are destination and dates. Without them you may end up in Siberia in the middle of an ice storm.

I am having issues. Here is the situation. Someone calls to book a room at a specific hotel but that hotel is sold out. There is another hotel about 5 miles down the road that has rooms available, but that is too far away and they don't want to go that far. Every time I hear this, I think "Please!!! You can walk that far in less than an hour!!!" Why is 5 miles an issue? Or even 15 or 20 miles for that matter. I have seen areas that were sold out for a hundred miles in every direction due to some event or another and people are still willing to book rooms. So, why is 5 or 10 miles such an issue? If someone can tell what the big deal is, I would really like to know.

I have put up with the abuse long enough. Tonight is the last night that I have to work at Hollywood Video. I have put up with the tyrannical leadership for long enough. The final straw was when she bought dinner for everyone except me on the Friday before I went on vacation. I know this wasn't an over sight because there were no apologies made. Then, when she jumped all over me without getting the full story about why I wasn't at work last Friday, I blew up. I'm generally a very slow burn, so my beef with her must have been brewing for quite some time. I do have to say that I am a little sad to be leaving because I really did like a couple of people that I work with and I will miss getting the free rentals, but I don't think I will miss it enough to want to go back. Well, that's all for now. My life is too boring at the moment to have too much more to talk about.

So, my visit with my family was great!! My sister and I had a great time playing catch up. I laughed at my nephew until my sides ached. Then, came the day when we were scheduled to leave. I got new tires for the car, but only on the back. We gave everyone kisses and hugs and headed down the road. It had been snowing for the better part of the day before and most of that morning and the wonderful Wyoming road crews had yet to get out and plow the highways. We got about 45 minutes down the road, and after nearly sliding into the ditch not once but twice, I turned the car around and crawled back to my mom's house. I called work and told them what was going on and let them know that I wouldn't be in. Better safe than sorry. Had I known that the other side of the pass was clear, do you think I would have continued? Probably not. Besides, it allowed me to spend one more day with my family. I get home late on Friday. I was supposed to work at Hollywood Video that night. I did call them once I got back to my mom's house to let them know I wouldn't be able to make it, but when I went to work on Saturday, the store manager read me the riot act for not coming in when I was scheduled. Anyway, a short little argument ensued and I put in my notice. I was going to anyway, but her little tantrum just made it that much easier. So, here's the deal. There is a Weight Watchers meeting facility three blocks from my house, so I am considering joining. The only thing holding me back is the expense. Sure it is only something like $100.00 for 10 weeks, but I always think of something else I would like to spend that money on. I guess that says I am not as ready to lose weight as I think. What to do? Bite the bullet and just do it? Or sit and stew about it for a little bit longer and hope the the weight just magically disappears? Till next time,