A is for Asshole, B is for Bear....

Hi World,

My friend Red, at Redheaded Stepchild, forwarded an alphabet challenge in which you are supposed to write a post each day on the corresponding letter of the alphabet.  Sort of like Angels and Demons only less complicated. 

I wanted to participate because I love alphabet games but I was kind of caught up in this:

I still want to participate though, because, have I said?  I love alphabet games.  Since Blogger land rules have always been a mite blurry, I figured I can still catch up even though it is now, technically, April 3.  In fact, I think FEMA regulations totally allow for late to the game alphabet posting.  But I will make them short because no one wants to read old news, am I right?

A is for ASSHOLE:

If you checked in on April 1, you know by now that I work for a very nice hotel that was recently affected by the flooding that took place in New England a few days ago.

The hotel sustained serious damage and some of us were working from home to alert people who had reservations and to relocate groups and meetings.  During the course of the first day I had to relocate a wedding. A wedding?  Yes, we had a very nice young couple scheduled to get married and have their reception at the hotel on Thursday, so I spent the first post flood day, Wednesday, finding them a new place.  The bride did not cry a single hysterical tear.  She was amazing.  When we got her wedding set up in another hotel she was, imagine this, grateful for all my help.

 Then I started calling people who had reservations for the following day.  Along about 8PM I got a text message from someone I had called and left a message for explaining the situation and apologizing for the inconvenience.  It said, "You Really Suck".

Really, Asshole?  I suck?  Perhaps you do not know the meaning of "Suck".  When your slurple Lexus gets swallowed by a huge mud puddle it sucks, but it is not the end of the world.  When your place of employment or home gets swamped by floods resulting in many people not having a workplace or home, sometimes both, to go to, it sucks, but at least no lives were lost.  When you get word in the middle of the crisis that your aunt has passed away and you don't feel, given the circumstances, that you can make the five hour drive home for the service, that really sucks, but your family understands because they are great that way. When your dreamed about, carefully planned and fully paid for wedding is suddenly canceled due to circumstances completely beyond your or anyone else's control, and is relocated to a hotel that you never even considered, that really, really sucks, but you were able to get married. 

Having someone call you personally to tell you that your reservation for the next day is canceled due to flooding, and having the caller apologize, and then give you their number in case you should need further assistance, does NOT suck, and neither does the person who called you.  Asshole.

B is for BEAR.

What I have not mentioned, World, is that before the floods came to claim our yards and basements, I had given notice at my current job as I had recently accepted a position at a local university.  I don't want to give it up completely, but their mascot is a Brown Bear.  That's what I love about blogging.  Anyone reading now will know a little bit more about Chicken than the person that checks in six months from now, unless that person is very, very diligent, in which case they are probably a....Stalker....scary. 

I love where I worked.  I left for reasons that are splintered in a thousand different directions and complicated.  When I walked into the hotel today and saw the damage that was left behind, I went home and cried for the same splintered, complicated reasons.  I saw the hotel built and I was there for the greatest opening party ever except for maybe Atlantis Dubai (which I was not invited to. That sucked). I witnessed the growing pains, made friends, and learned so much.  Today was my last day there and I feel a little like a deserter leaving the wounded on the field.  I wish I was leaving under different circumstances.  Goodbye NYLO and thank you for everything.  Stay Unique.

Hey, you Bears.  Guess what?......I'm Chicken.  Hi!

Chicken out

(hint:  Chicken crossing the road, click click, oh my, what is this?)

JUST LEAVE SANDRA ALONE....

Hi World,

I know, it has been like two days and I have not checked in.  I tried to catch up today.  God, you all are prolific.  There were a lot of blogs to catch up on! 

Congratulations to SS for passing the most difficult section of the CPA exam.  Congratulations to Becca for "Not Drinking Jello Shots".  Sure wish I had been there for that. 

Joann and Dinners, glad to have you back in rare form.  Red and CB, thanks for being on top of things as alway....

So anyway, I've missed everyone, now let's talk about Sandra Bullock but in a nice way...

Here is a nice person.  Never has a bad thing to say about anybody.  Always funny, always upbeat, totally a girl next door type that you can imagine giggling with over wine and tapas, and the media is all over her.  Because her husband did a bad thing.

It's between them, media.  Leave them alone, give the girl some room, let them work it out.  There are children involved.  I don't want to know the dirt, don't want to see the other woman, don't want to see his tattoos (even if they are quite alluring), don't want to know how she is coping. 

We think we envy celebritites.  Really?  Think about something so private and heartbreaking happening to you and then think about parasites following you around night and day with the sole mission of  catching your every reaction and reporting it to the public.  I don't care how much people are paid, it is really not right. 

And the ironic twist is, you almost can't help but watch.  I've managed not to so far.  I'll continue my struggle because, I like you Sandra Bullock, and you need your space. 

Ahhh.  Got that out of my system.  So, World, you have not heard from me because, as you may have heard, Rhode Island is in deep water.  Not metaphorically, for once, but for real.  On Tuesday my little state experienced the worst flooding recorded in 100 years.  I work for a very nice hotel located on the banks of one of the rivers.  This is the view from our restaurant window on Tuesday afternoon:

That area used to be a deck and lawn. 

Here is the view from our roof a few hours earlier:

Usually there is a bank there leading down to the water. 

I usually do not reference my job at all because I think it is generally not a good career move, but if I'm not able to show up again for a few days, I wanted you to understand why.  I would really, really like to make things funny, in the style of slurple Lexus, but this is the second flooding we've gone through in two weeks in our state and many businesses and home owners have been affected.  Because this is not normal for Rhode Island, many homeowners and small businesses do not have the insurance needed to cover the expenses related to flooding.  I can normally turn anything light.  In fact, I think my psyche depends on it, but this is one of those situations where you say to yourself, "don't be a callous Ass, Chicken".

So I'll be back.  Please don't unfollow me.  I'm just getting to know you, my little Chickadees.  Oh, excuse me, can I call you that? 

Take care,

Chicken out

PS. Check out chicken crossing the road for maybe just a little bit of situation related humor.