The End of My Shift

The day started out nice. Worked with Mel and Ricardo until 3:30. Ricardo and I talked mainly about football, the iPod, and a book he was reading for one of his classes called "The Belly of the Beast" which is a compilation of letters written between Jack Abbott, a convict, and author Norman Mailer. I didn't get a chance to read the book, though I did skim the critic reviews on the back. Chances are I will pick it up by the end of this week. I am into a book right now called "The World Is Flat" which explains how people all across the world have practically become our next door neighbors with all the technology developed over the past few decades (fiber-optics, etc.). It is a good read for a business major but far from exciting. Maybe I can switch between the two books.

I got in a conversation with my girlfriend the other day and now she has me seriously considering buying another iPod (aside from my nano) with a video. Before I bought my nano, I had heard rumors of a 6th generation coming out soon that will have a totally different design. I decided to hold up on the video, and was glad I did, because the nano's size is perfect for running. There seems to be speculation about the release date and design for the 6th generation iPod so I am not exactly sure what I am going to do. No hurry.

On to football. Mel, the God that he is, unleashed his television for the games today. It came in handy as us New Yorkers got the sheer joy of watching the Jets get slaughtered in the 4th and Giants lose by 3. How disappointing. I am not much of a football fan, more of a baseball fan as you can probably tell, but my interest is slightly rising. I am impartial between the two NY teams. I see qualities in both that I like. Odds are that I will favor the Jets being that one of the only reasons I enjoy watching the Giants is Tiki Barber and his career appears to be over. Baseball season starts soon!

So at 3:30 Nick and my sister came into work. Nick and I spent the majority of our talks on the topic of possible Yankee trades. He is all giddy about acquiring Scott Kazmir and I think that would be an awesome idea, except it would take an arm and a leg to get him away from Tampa at this point. But who knows, Cashman acquired some decent prospects this offseason and we may be in for a surprise come the trading deadline, depending on which direction Roger Clemens chooses.

Nick is a funny guy and I respect him a lot. He has a lot of heart and barely ever talks trash behind peoples backs, which is more than you can say for most people around us. Talk, talk, talk, that's all they do. Complaints about the places inefficiencies but nothing gets done because RSC wouldn't listen. Not that I mind, I'm just a part-timer. Just cause I told him I would, here is a picture of Nick (on his organizer, I won't tell =P):




One funny thing that always has people worried is the security camera that observes the door. As the story goes, Frank, one of the older concierges, was caught leaving his Dunkin' Donuts cup of coffee on top of the lobby desk. Management personally came to him with a picture of the cup on the desk. Yes, I understand, this destroys the classiness of our service, and all that jazz, but do they really need to carry a picture of the incident around with them? Printing out a photo of the cup adds unnecessary drama. It could have been discussed without throwing evidence at him (it shouldn't be conducted like a trial, it should be conducted as a constructive conversation between an employer and an employee). This is not the problem though. I understand management not wanting the cup of coffee sitting on the desk for a prolonged period of time but this story has been used to explain why doorman shouldn't do anything but stand there like a stool. For example, as a doorman, we are running around, and we often hide beverages that keep us hydrated. In a lonely lobby, when no one is around, taking a swig in front of the camera is forbidden. Why, do you ask? Management supposedly has a personal live feed on their laptop to watch our action. Isn't that a vote of confidence in your employees, using a camera to continuously monitor your employees' actions while you are home. God forbid a resident catches us going for a drink, we might need to be reprimanded. Countless concierge's have reminded doormen of the spooky camera that watches over us when we sleep (kind of like Santa Claus - he knows when we are sleeping and he knows when we're awake). Get a life Santa Claus.

So my shift comes to an end at 9pm, but not exactly. The 9pm guy has to walk Mrs. Campbell's dog, BeeCee, every single night after their shift is over. We are not on the clock but we are expected to walk the dog. She gives us $5. So, with my luck, the rain pours down at 9pm sharp and I make my way, with protest (as usual), up to the smelly, 200 degree, room. I place BeeCee in the stroller (this dog is no longer allowed to walk on the Condominiums carpets because it peed on it a few times--previously had bladder problems) and make my way into the pouring rain. BeeCee tries to get me to walk around the Condo's lawn, but I won't let it. No point in getting my shoes soaking wet so the dog can drag me through the mud and squat a dozen times. To be blunt, the dog hasn't gone to the bathroom once since I have been taking it out at 9pm and the doormen should no longer be EXPECTED to walk the dog anymore. I now walk BeeCee all over the Wyndham lawn, as nosy, dog-hating, residents snoop from their apartments above. I am hoping to get busted as the dog poops on the lawn, cleaning it up of course, so there can be a discussion about Wyndham employees walking the dog and this can all come to an end. Condominium's management has 'wisely' implemented a $100 fine for every time the dog deficates on Wyndham property so that would probably have to be included in the discussion. I am willing to take one for the team! Not that I am hoping for this but the resident can't walk the dog herself (she has dog walkers come to walk it for her) and if no one will be willing to walk the dog at 9 anymore, she is going to be in a jam. Not much I can say about that except that she needs an aide. She used to call down to the front desk every hour to ask for someone to come turn on her TV. She doesn't understand that her cable is coming from the cable box and that also needs to be on. I wrote her instructions to refer to for every time she has that problem but that failed miserably.

So I get done walking the dog and take the $5 she leaves for the 9pm doorman. I get back to the lobby and my sister is starving and wants me to go pick her up some food. Just great. I made a deal that I would sit behind the desk, the concierge on duty would become a doorman, and she would pick up her food. She gets to the underground Chinese food place (that Nick so brilliantly recommended, haha) and they want to charge her $13 and change for a small thing of sesame chicken. Yea right, she told them that she wouldn't accept it and that was that.

My day seemed so simple before I wrote this.