Sunday, April 6, 2014

A Tip For You!

We stay at a lot of hotels.

Sometimes business, sometimes pleasure.

A while back, it occurred to me that maybe we should be leaving a tip for housekeeping.  Then I started urging Gary when our stay was over to leave something.  He opposed, reminding me that our rooms were way over priced to begin with.  So I had to over-ride his firm no tip policy and leave one myself, often double checking before the door closed behind us to make sure he hadn't confiscated the money in the 'best interest of our best interest'.  Oh Gary!

Sometimes we have to teach our husbands what is the right thing.

Before too long, Gary was telling me to put my money back in my purse, and he was leaving the tip.  My hero!

When my daughter Lindsey began working for the Comfort Inn here in town, I grew even more sensitive to the importance of tipping housekeeping.

....which brings me to my story

Today we returned from a 2 day stay in NJ where we saw JERRY SEINFELD at the Borgata Events Center in Atlantic City.  (It was great, by the way!)


Now, when we left for the show last evening we requested new towels and that our room be tidied up.  I left a tip.


Upon returning to our room I found my IPod was missing!  I looked everywhere but it was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe housekeeping took it,"  Gary suggested.

"No way," I said.  "Why wouldn't they take my Apple computer or my IPad then?"

"Because they couldn't get away with that.  They are too big.  An IPod is small and can fit in a pocket."

And I had left her a tip!  Errrrrrr

The seed was planted.  So now I thought, yep...  Gary is right.  It was stolen.  Though I searched everywhere, my Ipod was nowhere to be found.  I stayed up half the night changing my passwords so if it had been stolen, at least the thief could not get into my accounts.

This morning before going to the front desk to report it stolen, I did another search.  I was furious that someone would be so low as to do such a thing.

A thought crossed my mind,  how God wants us to pray for our 'enemies' and I was trying to be a good steward and do so when suddenly....

There was my Ipod!

I had searched that part of my suitcase 3X and found nothing.  But there it was!

I was so relieved!

An Ipod can be replaced, but my faith in mankind had been tainted and already I was vowing never to leave another tip and never to trust housekeeping again.

Pretty unfair of me, huh?

But now, my IPod had appeared and all was well.

This time, upon leaving, I left a much better tip and I received a tip of my own:   Do not jump to conclusions too hastily...  and always think the best, not the worst.

Question:

Do you tip housekeeping?

And now, a tip for you:  (These workers make little money and work very hard.  A couple of dollars can go toward buying diapers for their baby, getting a prescription for a sick child, or putting food on a families table.)

   If you tip housekeeping, you will be blessed! 

This post is dedicated to my daughter, Lindsey... You work hard and do a great job, but you're never to tired to play Barbies, read stories, or spend quality time with the girls.   My wish for you:  tips, tips, and more tips ;-)



Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Our Ship Has Come In!!!!!!

JUST HAD TO REPOST!!


This is our house.  We purchased it in 2006.  There was a reason we left WV and moved to Maryland... and this house.  But that story will come later.  

In late October we decided that we'd refinance our house so we could take advantage of the lower interest rate.  Quick n Loans sent an appraiser out and they went over the house and came up with an appraisal that was significantly lower than what we owed on the house already.  Grrrrrr.  It's because of other homes in our area that have been foreclosed on.  It brought the value of our house w-a-y down. No refinance for us. 

An interesting tidbit of information came from the appraiser though:  A previous appraisal showed that there was a basement beneath the house.  What?  We didn't know about a basement.  I wish!!  

After scouring the house and beating on the carpet covered floor with a broomstick, suddenly Gary heard a 'bonk'  in an area underneath the carpet in the adjoining apartment.  "This sounds hollow!" he said.  "This is it! I think I found our basement!"  

Last night Gary decided it was time to rip the carpet up and do some investigating.  
(He should have been an archeologist).  


I am afraid of spiders - they give me the creeps. So I sent him down and dropped a light down with him. 

I could hear him spitting webs from his mouth and I was sure glad I didn't go down.  Then I started hearing things like, "Wow!"  "You got to be kidding!" and "Unbelievable!" Then he said, "Bobbi... I think our ship has come in!"




The house was built in 1942 and I would have to say that this cellar was probably stocked around the same time.  


We found treasures GALORE!!!





(Below)But THIS was the Treasure of all TREASURES!!!


And look what was inside!!!!


AND THEN!!!!  Look WHO!!!


HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Visitor


I had the sweetest visitors a couple of days ago!


I hadn't seen Jasper since not long after his surgery in January.  He is the sweetest little guy!  I should have taken a picture of the back of his head...  he has the most adorable little curls!

He is doing great, too!  He can eat food now and doesn't have the problems he had before his surgery.

Jake was here too, but he would not be still long enough for me to get a picture...


Jasper let me hold him (reluctantly!) but he did look a little troubled by his crazy Grammy ;-)


His mommy sent me a video yesterday of Jasper taking his first couple of steps!!!!  I am thanking God for his amazing recovery!

I love my grandchildren...  they never fail to make me smile!!


Gracie, your turn.

Dear Mom,

I know your plan.  You are trying to make me an outside dog.   You said you put my cage on the patio just in case after you leave me out you get busy and then at least I would have a soft warm place to lay down.   Huh!  Yea, right.  This is just the beginning.  It starts with 10 minutes outside.  Then 20.  Before ya know it I'm spending days on end outside.   I knew it would come to this.   Comments like 'she's a bed hog' and 'she pooped on the floor' have given it away.  So just to let you know mom, I get your plan...  and I've got my eye on you.  

Your loving dog,
Gracie