BR FRONT DESK STAFF MEETING
I’m calling a long overdue staff meeting at Bird Rock this Monday, 8/2 at 2:30PM. Let’s sit down and talk about how things are going, find ways to improve our systems and alleviate our summer stress.
Please be there.
Until then: thank you all so much for steering the big white lady through her summer. I know I don’t say this enough, but all of you are rocking my world.
HEALTH INSPECTION
We had one today and Myah aced it (great job!!!!) Only thing wrong with us: some our food handler’s cards are expired. So Myah, Deb and Halley, go get yours within the next 2 weeks please.
LOST & FOUND
Camera mystery solved. Excellent job Brynn and Halley.
From now on: if a guest requests the return of an item, please fill out a lost & found request (by safe). Leave on the back desk for Olga and the girls, and also write in the guest’s WRP file what is missing, if it was found, if it was shipped and if the guest has been contacted. Use the alarms in WRP if a follow up is necessary.
BUTTER
Been stowing the extra in the mini fridge, a bunch is there.
GRANOLA & SUGAR
Was going to call Tom to order more of both granola and sugar (white and brown) but forgot and now it’s kind of late. Want to call him Myah? Thanks!
SKIPJACK
I really think we should get a screen for the door, the guests can get really warm in there. Maybe we can find an aesthetically-pleasing one.
Hey, thought we were supposed to get the new dishwasher by now? I’m super excited for it.
Never had a day like this before.The 8:00 Ferry Broken down, unhappy guest from the Lopez and a beautiful gal from Orcas had her car parked in front of herbs last night you guessed it, someone hit it and left no note.
Please remember when closing to restock everything on closing lists. This helps the morning girl when things go haywire. I need a massage really bad.
Debb
We are nearly out of butter and half and half, wrote it on the white board in the kitchen. Also, the guests in the Lopez had me move their coffee table into our back room because they want to be able to leave the sofa bed out for their son. I had no idea where else to put it.
Well, now we have more fruit than ever (10 bags of grapes!) so our fruit plates are going to be nice and bountiful for a while. I’ve stuck fruit in all the fridge drawers, don’t forget about them. Love when we have lots in our fridge! Still in desperate need of concentrate (oj and lemonade) but that should be here Thursday.
FRUIT
We had kind of a low supply this morning for being fully booked. Same with milk. Only strawberries, a small pack of blueberries, some (mostly unripe) kiwi, and oranges. I think we should always try to have a supply of melon and grapes, because they are popular and fill up the plate more. Had to send Olga to the store in the middle of breakfast (thanks Olga)! But a big order of fruit is coming in tomorrow.
SHEETS and F3
If guests want to know what the sheets are here, they are called Coyuchi and they are organic. You remember Laura’s little trick of hitting the F3 key and typing in any word you are looking for in the blog, like “sheets” and it will highlight it, and you can answer questions about stuf like that.
GREAT ATTITUDE
Not one complaint about the bar last night and I know it was loud. Attitude is everything! We have three time return guests here, who have experienced the fire alarm and Herb’s and LOVE it here!
EGG TRICK
I set a small plate inside the bowl to off-set the eggs from melting ice and it works really well, and looks good too. When it’s hot and the ice melts quickly, the eggs won’t be continually swimming, instead they are lounging deliciously on the plate, with the water below. Trick huh?
Hi there
I wanted to let you all know that I have ordered new I Home clock radio’s for the rooms that do not have them, they should be here in the next few weeks.
If the hose is leaking can you please call Island Garden’s and let them know 378-5161
I agree with Myah, let’s not put so much jam in the dish.. You can always refill
Are you locking up the bikes during the day, you should always have them locked so that your guests need to come in to get them unlocked and that way you can get a liability form. We can’t have those bikes cruising around unknown…
You are all doing a great job..
Thanks
There seems to be a leak in one of the black hoses. It’s the one on the left if you’re walking to the sidewalk from here along the main path. Other than that, everything’s good.
Steffi made some new Shaw keys, and new masters. They are in the safe. The shaw keys are hanging up on their hook. The guests who were here 7/16 in the shaw may have taken them home. I called to leave msg with them, but phone mail box is full. Maybe try again?
JAM
Do you guys throw away a copious amount of jam every day? I wonder if we could make the jam dishes with less of the sweet sticky stuff, like a tablespoon full.
BACK DOOR KITCHEN
Deb and I put the new Back Door Kitchen menus in almost all rooms. Missing: Whidbey & Matia. The menus are by the calculator. Please put in guest directories and take Spring menu out.
Thank you.
SUMMER
There is so much going on this weekend: Shakespeare Festival on World Road, Lavender Festival at the lavender farm, summer street fair on Court St, Farmer’s Market from 10-1 on Saturday in the court parking lot. Fun, fun, fun. Let our lovely guests know!
Important changes guys. And when I say important, I mean it! This is super critical stuff for us to be able to track how people hear about us so that we can know where we need to advertise.
I have changed the market codes so that there are only 7 codes now. Please STUDY THEM CAREFULLY. If you have any questions ASK, ASK, ASK. I would much rather that you ask me about this stuff than just fill something in that is not correct.
When you study this list, you will see two NEW entries. One is X-direct online booking. Do not use this code…ever. This is automatically entered when people book directly online.
Guest, last name Matus, stayed here 7/9-7/12 has lost a pearl bracelet and a phone charger USB cable. If it turns up please call her so we can sed it back.
Hi guys, I hope you’re all having a great summer. You are working so hard and I really appreciate it. Our computers are also working hard, and as you know, they are sometimes “freezing up”.
It has become clear that several of you are using the computers for personal use. I need to reiterate that this is absolutely NOT okay. When you use these computers for personal use, you are opening up our ENTIRE system to viruses. This costs us lots of money and can wreak havoc.
Please do NOT use the computers for personal use and do NOT erase the “history” in Firefox or Explorer. We absolutely need to see what websites have been visited so that we can track down where these viruses are coming from.
So, in summary, PLEASE treat these computers with the utmost respect and TLC. If you need to use a computer for any personal reasons, use the lobby computer (or the upstairs one at Bird Rock) during your breaks.
Cookie Recipe is back on the front of the fridge.Butter is thawing for next batch, we are going through everything with being sold out.
Many happy guests.
Olga did a super scrub on the kitchen floor,put on your sun glasses. She rocks.Nice to have the trade winds keeping us cool.
Garden is beautiful, deadheaded a few plants and watered everything including Spieden.
Good to go on Cookies also.
Bird Rock is looking pretty spiffy. Looks like there aren’t too many vacancies in town , Hope everyone has a great weekend.
That was AWESOME!!!!!!
My private violin concert turned into a concert for half the hotel. Her daughter did Irish dance to her songs, barefoot and in supertight pants. THANK YOU Herrault family. You made our day!
PETTY
Was off today. Thankfully I got a hold of Myah and figured out why. I need you guys to count the till every day, please.
LOBBY FRIDGE
Everything in there froze. I turned it up a bit. Please check tomorrow and adjust accordingly.
SHAW
Our lovely guests in the Shaw are sooooo warm. Laura, Cindy, didn’t we think about putting an air conditioner in that room?
COOKIES
We need some.
Thank you so much, Deb, for getting us some paper cups from EB. I ordered some more.
We have wonderful people staying here this weekend. Most are from hotter climates and find our heat wave refreshing. Wow.
Later tonight our guest in the Lopez, a professional musician, will give me a violin concert in the lobby. Can’t wait.
BUTTER
There is lot’s and lot’s of butter in the little black fridge by the luggage room door.
REVIEW
Lilly, I know you put out an amazing breakfast. I didn’t hear back from the guest. And another guest posted a really nice review on Trip Advisor for the same weekend.
Well, maybe we should just make it very clear that we are there for our guests, in good and in bad times. Come tell us if something is wrong. Don’t leave angry.
You guys are amazing. Thank you all for your hard work.
The guests in the Skipjack had an interesting idea and wanted me to pass it on. It’s a very warm night and their room has a door to the balcony but no window. They want to cool off the room and have the fan going but they also wanted to be able to open the door. I told them I thought this was fairly safe and would sleep with the door open if it were me but they felt weird about not having anything over the doorway to prevent peeping toms when the door is open. They suggest we get curtains overthe doorways…
Also, I can’t find any paper coffee cups.
Hey Steffi–so I read the guest comment about the lack of breakfast, etc. I am very confused by this though….I was working the morning of the 4th and had everything out…a HUGE plate of fruit, cereal, eggs, toast, yogurt, juice, milk, and a ton of scones! (I made a ton extra of everything because I knew it would be busy!) I am very surprised that they would be complaining about the breakfast, it was definitely one of the nicest looking breakfasts I have made all year! Also, they never brought up any issues about noise or the jets not working in the tub. I’m kind of surprised by the comment they left..I wish that they could have brought up some of these issues with me as I felt I was available but unfortunately this is the first of their complaints I am hearing.
Aloha everyone, good to be back at the Bird Rock, thank you for all the kind words and support. Summer may have finally arrived this afternoon. Had the front door open unit it got dark.
Hey Bird Rocking ladies,
please read review and my response in guest comment blog on this site. Can anybody tell me a little more about this? Why was the breakfast cereal and eggs only? Did the guest let you know about the jets? Did you have other noise complaints that morning (morning of 7/4 I think)?
Well, a bad review is a learning experience to do better next time. Let’s make sure we let folks know that we have carafes available to take filtered water up to the rooms. And continue with your fabulous customer service.
Also: Cindy and Laura will be out of town for the rest of the week. If you need something or have an issue, please call me at home.
DISHWASHER
Can’t wait for the new one! I’ve been finding a lot of not-so-clean looking dishes and having to rewash them, so just a friendly reminder to make sure they look clean before putting them through a wash.
Thanks MAYA and LAURA for your sweet words of encouragement! Though we’re fully booked this weekend, it hasn’t felt too crazy here, probably because everyone is out enjoying the festivities. Happy Fourth to you all!
This is just a little love note to tell you how amazing each and every one of you are and how much I appreciate everything you do every single day. Thank you.
Before I get too busy to blog, again, I just wanted to say how nice it is to work with this crew, this summer.
The new smart girls are so on top of it, and the guests just love you all, Halley, Brynn and Lilly!
The housekeeping staff is fast and friendly, and the guests often comment on how helpful they are, I just need to say it here before some minor crisis arises and takes presidence.
I miss Debbie like crazy, but she is back so let the fun begin. Trip advise-on!
Every crew need the boys, and we don’t want to know what we’d do with out Super Seth and brilliant and patient Morgan, who answers questions even if I asked him the same one a week ago. Love the boys.
None of this would work with out the amazing managerial scheduling skilled leadership of our dear Steffi. Steffi, thank you for all you do, it does not go unnoticed, just unpublished perhaps.
Now I feel like I’m saying my bedtime prayers and I don’t want to forget anyone, so god bless Laura and Cindy, and Raquel and everyone!
All this just before one of the busiest weekends of the summer. Exe’s & Oh’s
I refunded the Marrowstone guests 50% because of the hot-tub problem and all of the distress it seemed to cause them…
If we sell the Bainbridge, Patos, Speiden, or Sucia for tonight and tomorrow night please email Cindy to let her know. We had a big cancellation #2238479 and we won’t charge the guy the full amount if we can resell some of the rooms.
The guests in the Marrowstone came in to complain at 10:45pm that the hot tub wouldn’t get hotter than 99 degrees. We tried the key and Seth even looked at it. It all looks fine and it is usually 100-102 degrees so it really isn’t very low but they aren’t happy. Seth did some tweeking which may work or not. If not, I have a feeling they’ll want some kind of refund.
Yeah cookies. Thank you so much, Brynn.
I’ll bring the new schedule down in a little bit here. You will have some time with your sweety! Love, Love, Love!
Also: Maloulas Restaurant is now serving every day except of Wednesday. Oh yummy!
Good idea, Steffi, to get some delicious cherries (and grapes and blueberries). Good fruit is pricey but it sure does make people happy about breakfast!
RED LEGACY OREGON PLATES
A guest asked me upon check in if it was o.k. to park right outside the hotel by the bench. I assumed they meant in a parking lot. But I just saw they are parked right on the street, which is not o.k. I don’t remember who it was, knocked on some doors to no avail.
Brynn, can you ask our breakfast guests who that might be? They will get a ticket. Make an announcement? It was a couple, in their 50ties?
BIKES
We do not, under no circumstances, no exceptions, allow bikes in our rooms. One of us told our guests in the Fidalgo that it would be o.k. to bring them in the room. I will let them know that we will charge them if any damage occurs. But in the future, please make sure we are all on the same page on this.
FOOD
As Halley said, let’s order Monday and Wednesday from now on.
HALLEY, thank you oh so much for getting me going on breakfast prep, you doll, you. And for leaving everything so clean and organized and being on top of it. AND for doing a big ole store run. You definitely possess goddess skillz
FIDALGO GUESTS
They are super nice, here for 5 nights. They brought a bike and I guess they were told that it is fine to keep it in the room, though I know it’s not. They said they chose the fidalgo because of the extra space for the bike, which is their “baby”. I told them that you would be working tomorrow afternoon, Steffi, and that you would be the one to talk to about it. For tonight I let them keep the bike in their room, as they were misinformed it seemed the best thing to do!
Myah- Tom said he didn’t get either of our messages until late last night and was able to order everything but yogurt. WE ARE OUT OF YOGURT and he won’t be able to get it to us til next Saturday. I’m going to try and buy a case (or 3) from King’s. Also, Tom wants you to call him because he thinks we should place our orders no later than Wednesday in order to have them on time. As someone who hits the grocery store for something almost every mid-week closing shift, I agree
SHIPPING LOST ITEMS
We had a guest, who had forgotten a shirt. One of us shipped it back FedEx for $21. He wanted just regular mail for like $3. He was very angry. I refunded him the shipping cost. In the future please clarify how a guest wants their stuff sent back, cheap, fast, etc.
Thank you!
The guests in the Shaw were originally booked for the skipjack. Their booking was made by a travel agent who didn’t realize there were 3 people, one of whom is handicapped, so I moved them to the best thing we had available. I couldn’t find our futon so I think it must be in another room. I ran up to Earthbox and borrowed one, so the one in the Shaw has to go back there. Also, the plastic chair that is usually in the shower downstairs is in the Shaw shower because it’s easier for their handicapped party member to shower sitting down. I also shanghaied some paper from Earthbox, though not much.
BRYNN! You are a GODDESS. I worship you. The hotel was spotless and the cookie dough was already made when I came in, even though I was sure you wouldn’t have time to do it (I was planning on spending my afternoon making cookies, but I’m glad I didn’t have to . How do you manage all that during the crazy breakfast shift? Must be your goddess skillz.
So, the paper towel dispenser in the kitchen is jammed and I can’t find the key to open it. It’s not where it used to be (in the drawer of keys in the safe) or hanging on any of the housekeeping key rings in back. Any ideas about where it may be, anyone? Also, the printer ran out of paper. I looked in both desks as well as the back room. The only paper I can find is the thick paper or the Birdrock letterhead paper, no regular printer paper. Is it just my eyes deceiving me or are we out?
DESK CHAIR
The bolts keeping the arm rests in place seem to have popped out. I have sort of lodged the nail in there to keep it from jiggling around. I wrote a maintenance report for Seth.
MARROWSTONE GUESTS
Didn’t show up at closing, and had no number for me to reach them at. They got married today at Lakedale and were also having their reception, so I am assuming they will come late after all of the festivities. Organized a late check in.
Goddesses!
Please see: 2275467. Whale watch tour booked for wrong month. We have to pay for this in full, no way around it. Please please pay attention, so we can spend our money on finer things than this.
Brain on, please!
COOKIE DOUGH
Is made. Hopefully no frankenstein cookies this time! I painstakingly made sure I was doing everything right, so that shouldn’t be the case (hopefully)
SAN JUAN SUITE FLOWERS
They are STILL alive. How amazing. They are from nearly two weeks ago!
What a busy morning this was. Lots of happy people. Enjoy the sun everyone!
COOKIE DOUGH
Brynn, can you please start a cookie dough as soon as you can tomorrow? We are all out, Frankenstein and everything. I left 4 uncooked eggs for project cookies!
SPA CONFIRMATIONS
From now on, the spa will call us to confirm our upcoming spa bookings the day before. I think that’s a great idea.
INK
needs to be ordered from Dell. We have 3 more cartridges in the upper right drawer of the back desk. If we run low on those, let one of the boss ladies know and we’ll order it.
COFFEE MATE
2 full boxes on shelf above egg cooker
RECYCLING
Needs to go to the curb on Sunday nights. If we forget or have too much, please call Seth.
Thank you all so much for your hard work, feeding hungry guests, rescuing cookies, cleaning the wine shelf. You are making this place what it is.
Much love, s
We are almost out of black printer ink. Do we order that from anyone special or just buy it at the office supply store?
Lilly-
The hotel looked great this afternoon! It was really nice to come into work after you were here. I’m glad everything went so well this morning. You rock!
So tonight’s shift has been really calm and pleasant. Only a few things of note. Firstly, I was stocking the coffee and tea area when I noticed I couldn’t find anymore Coffee Mate packets. Are they hidden in back somewhere or do we need to order more? Also, our recycling is overflowing. I’m not sure who we notify about this but I could take it to the dump if no one else can, just let me know.
Lastly, good luck on your first breakfast shift back solo Lilly! Everything’s ready and I think it will go just fine.
Sooo, tonight we had some poor souls turn up looking for a room around 10:30pm. They had just gotten in from Colorado and hadn’t eaten dinner and everything was closed… so I fed them yogurt and cereal and toast. Which would be why there’s a few bowls missing from the breakfast line-up, but I added some of the guest use ones to the ones we usually use, cuz I don’t want to run the dishwasher for 5 measly bowls. If you need more in the morning just steal them from the cupboard in the lobby. Also, I had one of the Frankenstein cookies and it was DELICIOUS!!!
My cookie magicians, you guys are amazing.
Myah, you should write a Trip Advisor about your Morel 6 experience. How was the customer service? Did they have magic fingers?
FRANKENSTEIN COOKIES
During the heat of the day, on this particular phase of the moon, at precisely the right balance of higher energies, the cookie dough was revitalized, with bits and pieces of this and that, to become what is is today, a much self actualized version of it’s former self. This was a collaboration of creative juices flowing from the all mighty cookie diva in the sky. Brynn, you and Halley are still the cookie goddesses!
Brynn, thank you for covering for me while I grooved out to Crosby Stills and Nash last night. We stayed in a Motel 6, which was a humorous but kind of grodey experience. Meth dealers, the sound of the highway, and really terrible coffee could make up for the bad service. Definitely not the Bird Rock or the Earth Box!
INTERNET
Ok, so it’s working now. For some reason, a program called Linksys Wireless Network Monitor popped up when I turned the computer on and it was asking me to update or reconnect or something, I don’t really remember but I clicked on something. Anyway, the internet wasn’t connecting. After unplugging and replugging cords and restarting the computer, I still couldn’t figure it out. Then I clicked on the icon for the Linksys program in the dock next to the wireless internet icon and it asked if I wanted to reconfigure something (I know, I’m really good with details, huh) so I just clicked yes, and lo and behold, the internet worked again! So that’s my exciting story. If this happens to anyone else, maybe you can do what I did.
COOKIE PROBLEM
Ummm…hmmm. I think I screwed up a little with this last batch of cookies (ok a lot), and I’m pretty sure it’s because I didn’t put enough flour in them. Though I’m not sure how since I don’t remember being distracted. Sigh. Anyway, they turn out flat and greasy and weird. I don’t know if the dough can be rescued. ARRGGHH!
Oh well, other than these little dilemmas, it’s been a good day. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!
SUCIA GUESTS
Can’t stop raving about Bird Rock! So I asked them to write about us on trip advisor (of course)..The guy is a photographer and he said the pictures on our website don’t do us justice. They were “very pleasantly surprised”. Hmmm, maybe we should think about getting some more shots?
UPSTAIRS PATIO LOCKS
It appears at least the second floor patio lock is not working, as I’m sure you have all noticed. I know Halley wrote a maintenance report for Seth but thought I would mention it on here again. I know it says not to deadbolt those doors, but I guess we have to?
COOKIE DOUGH
Made a big batch today, talk about a project! Mainly it’s scooping all the dough into little balls. Wouldn’t want to start that project too late in my shift.
Well, it’s been an amazingly beautiful day. Guests are out on the patio right now at 8:30 enjoying some wine.
Hey Ladies of the Rock,
I’m just going through upcoming reservations and there are a bunch with questions and it’s not clear if those questions have been answered. Made alarms. Please call guests.
If you answered a guest question from the guest remark section, please note so in WRP. Thank you.
Continue to rock!
P.S. I reconciled $$$$ last night and it was perfecto (ooops, no Spanish at work:). Thank you!
WHIDBEY
Was a no-show at closing. Please ask Regino if they came on the last ferry. f not, call guest and see what’s up, then call spa immediately and cancel massage. Guest is charged.
1/2 & 1/2 THERMOSES
Both tops are broken. Maybe we can get a new one next time we go shopping?
Thank you for the flawless shift change today, Brynn. It is such a pleasure working after you:)
We have some exhausted guests tonight. Getting here was not half the fun for them, ferries….
Be kind and loving and feed them well.
DISHWASHER
BL (beautiful Laura) ordered us a new one, yeah!!!! It will be delivered and installed, the old one taken away by the good people of Sears on Monday, June 28. Hopefully not right during breakfast.
LILLY
Brynn, Lilly will stop by on Tuesday at 7:30 AM to get a visual on the breakfast prep, Halley and I (me not so much today, sorry) walked her through. Just so you know. Show her the chops!
HALLEY
That was an excellent job how you worked out the kayak tour date mix up and offered room service and everything. Great great job, happy happy guests. You are awesome.
MYAH
I can not believe you took the cheerios dust out of the bin. That is above and beyond, girl. Thanks also for cleaning the front desk. It needed it.
So I just tried to post and somehow it disappeared so I’m re-writing this, UGH! Anyways, got the dishwasher thing figured out, it’s not that the door’s seal is off, it’s just that you have to really muscle it shut. It worked just fine today.
Also, the guests in the San Juan mentioned that it would be nice to have a small table or island to eat at since they have their own kitchen to cook in. I think they’re on to something…
Lastly, I know we use as much eco-friendly, organic, green stuff as we can and I wondered if we advertised this on our website? I think it’s a really attractive feature of ours and we should put it out there. Guests love that kind of thing, I know I do. Anyways, you guys rock. Keep on keepin on! (You can tell it’s late…)
Brynn- The guests in the San Juan don’t want a housekeeping tidy on 6/8/10.
Steffi- The dishwasher leak just keeps getting worse and worse. I slipped and almost dropped a bunch of glasses today while it was running because I was looking at the shelf and not my feet. It took me 4 towels to dry the floor and while it saved me mopping later I am worried that someone else will get hurt because of it. I wrote another maintenance slip but think it may be beyond Seth’s powers to fix.
Other than that, all’s well! Our courtyard is looking especially beautiful lately and we’re finally getting some beautiful sunny weather! Looking forward to summer.
SHAW TV
No trick. The coaxial cable was defective. Seth exchanged it. The second cable I thought was loose may be defective as well. If it is, then call Seth, he has a spare.
STEFFI
Awe, Steffi, thanks for the encouragement! Yes, yesterday had it’s share of adventures, but really it turned out fine in the end, and the guests were really cool about everything.
TRIP ADVISER
Yay, what a nice review we just got! I still need to work on remembering to slip in the whole go-on-trip-adviser spiel.
SHAW TV
So it works now? What’s the secret?
BLOG
Obviously I have now just caught on to the practicality of separating every idea with it’s own heading…makes it much easier to read. Smart people at Bird Rock/Earthbox
STEFFI
Awe, Steffi, thanks for the encouragement! Yes, yesterday had it’s share of adventures, but really it turned out fine in the end, and the guests were really cool about everything.
TRIP ADVISER
Yay, what a nice review we just got! I still need to work on remembering to slip in the whole go-on-trip-adviser spiel.
SHAW TV
So it works now? What’s the secret?
BLOG
Obviously I have now just caught on to the practicality of separating every idea with it’s own heading…makes it much easier to read. Smart people at Bird Rock/Earthbox
BRYNN
Was a Rockstar last night. You, gorgeous woman, had your trial by fire: TV not working, fire place not working, locked yourself out. There will be one more test: the fire alarm going off, but once you get through this nothing, and I mean nothing can mess with your cool:)
MYAH, HALLEY, BRYNN
Thank you so much for your hard work. You are holding the ship down just as we want you to. Your excellent customer service, meticulous attention to detail and your ‘just get it done’ attitude is what makes this the fabulous hotel it is. Thank you!
SHAW
The TV is acting funny, cuts out, etc. I think the 2nd cable is loose. Blocked room out until Friday. You may rent it at a discount without TV privileges for $99 per night.
Brynn moved current guests to different room, please make sure Shaw gets cleaned. Please make sure to call Seth and tell him about TV problem.
Morning all! This is your friendly neighborhood shift coverer.
Just a couple of things.
- I hope Tom is scheduled to drop of food tomorrow otherwise you will need to go shopping for Sunday. I am sure you will be fine for Saturday breakfast.
- The Matia was supposed to have two twin beds but it wasn’t set up. Not knowing how to do that nor where the twin sheets are, I gave on of the gentlemen the Sucia for the night. He knows he will have to move back on Sat. Please tell housekeeping about the change.
Welp that’s about it. I hope Steffi is feeling better. Take it easy!
Myah!
Thanks for your sweet words. Me likey positive reinforcement. I hope tomorrow it looks good too. Your words inspired me to extra-tidy.
Another slow and peaceful night here at Birdrock. I’ll see you all next week.
Halley: You Rock the Rock! The hotel was shining clean and well stocked this morning. What a treat to wake up the this! You are a doll-face!
The co-op order has been picked up, thanks to Seth the wonder-guy!! What a great team!
I am enjoying the new play list here, I wonder if Zoe is adding her favs. That girl is into music too.
I solved a mystery today. You know how these new high-end bikes have the hardest looking seats ever? I always wonder how people put up with that, especially long distance. Well, I noticed today that they wear pants “with pads built in!!!!” (not that i was looking) Isn’t that amazing? Butt pants! Who knew?
The new girl in housekeeping is sweet and focused. I hope she makes friends here this summer. She told me she is studying accounting at University…yea girl.
Enough for now, I will keep you reprized if I notice any new mysteries solved. There are so many.
It’s been smooth sailing this afternoon so I’ve been doing some stocking and cleaning. I noticed that our dishwasher leaks and creates a puddle under it and the counter whenever we run it. The door may not seal properly. I wrote a slip for Seth. Also, we have only 1 can of rolled oats left. Do we order more from FSA or Tom? Same with white sugar. I poured the last 25 lb bag into the sugar bucket, so we no longer have an extra stock back there. Other than that, nothing of note. You guys are super cool. Rock on!
-Halley
DAILY CHECK LIST
Ladies of the Rock, please continue to use the daily check lists. Sign, date and put in my box after your shift. I printed some more (also in my box).
BED & BREAKFAST.COM
We DO NOT participate in any bed & breakfast.com promotion. The only gift certificates we take are the ones issued by us. This is important. We don’t get our money otherwise.
WEDNESDAY MYAH COOP BODY CARE
Myah, will you please pick up a very large body care product order from the food coop on Wednesday. call Seth and have him help you with the truck or the van. Anna from the coop will call you when the order arrives (between 11 and 2). If you don’t here from her by shift end, will you go over there anyway and look for the order, please?
It’s prepaid, so you don’t have to worry about the $$$$$.
Thank you so much.
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS
Keep our gorgeous Bird Rock lady clean. Not that you aren’t, but I’m picky:)
Wipe down the front of the cabinets (kitchen and lobby), dust the glass shelf, clean fridges and microwave, wipe down coffee pots and granola bins and please please double check dishes before you put them away. Dishes need to be pre-washed before they go in the dishwasher.
Check out the deep cleaning schedule on the fridge and go at it, uiiiiee!
WHEN RAQUEL CALLS
to ask how many check outs and stay-overs we have the next day, go to tomorrow’s date, go to check-outs and read that number to her, go to check-ins with stays and read her the number of stay-overs. This is really important, she schedules according to what we tell her and when we (and we do) give her the wrong info, she schedules either not enough or too many housekeepers.
WRP
Please go through upcoming reservations when you have a second. Make sure we didn’t miss a massage add-on or a request for something special. Found a bunch today again.
EMAILS
Please file emails after you dealt with them.
PHONE MESSAGES
Please erase phone messages after you dealt with them.
I think that’s all I had to nag about:)
Summer Season 2010 here we come! I love my crew! Together we are strong!
Also, we’ve got a bunch more island maps, including some Orcas maps.
Western Prince called to let us know that they are all booked up for their noon trips this weekend, but they are offering 4pm trips just for this weekend and there are many spaces still available.
The couple in the San Juan really enjoyed their stay (and plan to write on Trip Advisor, yay!). They said their meal at Coho is one of the best they have ever had. They had just a few small suggestions: that the top window in the San Juan get some sort of window treatment because a lot of light comes in in the morning. They also thought the fridge was noisy, but understood there may not be much we can do about it. They were really nice.
Myah- I made a bunch of cookie dough last week, so you might be referring to my batch (I hope!). I followed the recipe except I didn’t put in any granola and about half as many oats. The dough seemed quite buttery and sticky to me, but I put in the amount of butter and flour, etc. that it called for, so who knows? Maybe the fact that they were more dough-y is the secret to their plumpy-ness
The HoneyMooners in Marrowstone are the cutest couple ever. They went to Duck Soup for their last night, Lucky devils.
The peonies from Rolph even are fragrant. I need to get some pink ones in my garden.
Just want to say what a pleasure it is to work with everyone here at the Bird Rock, Seth never complains and the laughter around here is totally contagious.
Good night ,see you Saturday.
There seems to be a delay on our email. I’ve been receiving emails hours after they’re send time the last 2 evenings. I don’t know how to fix this. Has anyone else noticed this delay? Also, the guests in the Marrowstone were having trouble with their wifi. Other than that, all is well.
-halley
Uh oh, I had taken the schedule to copy it last week and found it in the copier today, sorry.
Thanks for all the helpful hints from you all, stuff like unirez and other octopuses are easier to deal with when there is a good map to follow.
WED or THURS the 2nd or 3rd?
Does anyone want one of these days? I have a big fat final due on Friday and I could use one of the days to study. let me know, 379 3668 or skydog@rockisland.com,
muchos gracias
Whoever it is that is making cookies, is doing a really great job, they turn out so perfectly round and plumpy! What is the secret? Thank you little cookie elf, who ever you are.
We have a big family here who is so happy to be here at the BR, they just love it.
You guys crack me up. Well, better 2 wonderful women showing up to work than none, right?
KEYS
Morgan (the Rock!) brought us a gazillion new magnetic keys. I redid all our keys except the ones which are in our guest’s hands. Myah Papaya, tomorrow, when guests give their keys back, slide them in the front door. If they blink green they are functioning. Hang them up. If they blink red or not at all, take one of the keys Morgan made out of the safe, slap a room label on it and throw the old magnetic card out.
SCHEDULE
Next week’s schedule was missing. NOT o.k. If you take it down to make a copy, please hang it back up. Morgan brought us a copy, so all is good now.
REGINO
I made his bed, now he has to lay in it. Ha. Can you please remind the girls to change the sheets on Friday morning, so R has a clean bed to sleep in? He can’t do things like that right now with his arm.
Busy busy day at the Brrrrrr. Don’t forget to order food next Monday and Thursday. I started lists on the white board.
Must of been some fun in the hotel last night a beautiful pair of high heels in next to the couch…Another beautiful day here here comes Brynne I think I read the schedule wrong. oops.
When processing a UNIREZ reservation MAKE SURE you go into the EDIT screen to lock the room type. If you notice, when a reservation comes in you will see in the room section it says “Room: U.” That means unassigned. UNIREZ reservations have this NASTY PROBLEM of making a reservation for a room but not actually taking the room out of availability. You fix that by going into the reservation’s EDIT screen and simply saving it. Easy as pie. Everything falls into place properly. If you fail to do this there is a possibility that the room could be overbooked by another reservation.
PS Please make sure you are checking the “New Section” for any alarms that might need to be taken care of. Clear out any old ones and old UNIREZ reservation alerts.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!
Everything is fine and dandy here, Morgan just brought us Champagne, ordered gallon baggies and napkins from Gerard.
Sun is back with us and the door is open. Vegas sure sounds like fun.
Hello my beautiful Birdrocking Ladies and our rock Morgan,
Checking in to let you know that Cindy and Laura are out of town all this week. Give me a call if you have any issues.
The new schedule is made and is up here at EB. I asked Morgan and Stephanie to bring it down tomorrow. Look closely at the opening hours: starting on May 28 we close at 11PM. Summer, here we come!
No problem! It’s great that we’re busy. And thanks so much for coming in so I could take a break…and for doing breakfast prep, making cookies, and your beautiful lemonade (seriously, it’s so beautiful).
People in the Marrowstone complained that their tv over the gas stove has a strange coloring and the volume was really low, even though all the buttons on the controller work. Any tips?
Brynn, my double shift rockstar, have a great shift! Thank you so much for your help.
Call me when you need a break. The lady in the NEW section never called back. I canceled the reservation.
Just thought it was about time I get in the habit of blogging, so here is my first post
I’ve been having a lot of fun working here at Bird Rock so far, such nice people coming through all the time. I love to hear their effusive compliments about the hotel and the island.
Thanks again Myah for sharpening the knives, they have really helped with speeding along breakfast in the morning.
I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone here and at Earthbox. You are all so nice.
We have almost filled every one of the trash bins out back. Morgan told me to put 1 out on Monday for pick up and that someone else would take care of the rest? Whoever that is, we need their help stat! Other than that, you are all wonderful. Have fun!
MAPS
Call chamber of commerce this friday to see if they have maps yet. We may be able to get some from one of the real estate offices.
Raquel came in and showed me how to touch up the chairs and tables to fix any scratches. She is very clever. They also got a good dusting while I was down there.
KNIVES
I sharpened the big ones so be careful. I’m going to get us a paring knife soon, hopefully today.
Thank you for covering for me lately, I really appreciate you. I hope I can return the favor soon. Remember, any of you can always call me in a pinch and I will be here to help anyway I can.
CASH BOX
As of today we will count our cash box twice per day. Once in the morning, once in the evening. Cash reconciliation sheet is in cash box. Please add this to your daily duties.
Thank you.
SCHEDULE
Sweet Deb needs to leave. I changed the schedule. Please all have a look and make sure you know when you work.
FOOD ORDER
Here is how we will do it:
1) when you notice we are out of something, you write it on the white board.
2) When you order food, write next to the ordered item when it will be here, then circle the entire order and write: ordered, today’s date, your initials
CASH PAYMENTS
Brynn, when you have a cash payment, got to
1) credit card symbol
2) other form of payment
3) hit cash
4) hit process payement
MATIA
Please make extra double triple sure to write the bed constellation in the house keeping notes every time we got or you make a reservation for the Matia.
CHECK IN RECEIPTS
Go in the little folder behind you on the back desk, not in the safe.
LOST & FOUND
There are little lost and found forms above the stereo, fill one out, if a guest inquires about a lost item, and give it to Olga or Socco in the morning.
EMAILS & PHONE MESSAGES
Please file emails and delete phone messages once you have dealt with them.
TOMORROW
Halley, if you have time, please go to Post San Juan and bring the lost sweater back and mail the gift certificate on the desk.
MOTHER’S DAY
Downriggers, Place, Back Door Kitchen are open for dinner.
Bluff is doing a brunch, so is Duck Soup.
If the internet connection goes down, unplug a bunch of stuff in the router. Chris ever so lovingly labeled all the wirey thingys, so we know where to plug them back in. Anyway, wait for a few minutes before you reconnect the plugs, and then it should come back on.
Hey,
I learned yesterday from an educated man that “tony”, as in the Sunset Article “Tony Bird Rock Hotel” means something like “marvelous” in British. Mhm.
Deb, can I ask you a weird favor: can you bring a handful of coffee filters (for the big coffee maker) up to Earthbox when you come to the party, please? We are totally out.
Tell everybody about our Fiesta Mexicana, from 3-6, authentic Mexican cuisine (whole pig boiled in oil over open flame, oh yeah), folk dance, free massages, grand opening of Johnny’s Organic Juice Bar at the Earthbox pool patio.
Myah, come up for a bite to eat, yes?
CONFIRM ADD-ONS
Please confirm whale watch tours, massages etc. with guests. Twice today somebody called wanting to make sure that they can still get a massage or a whale watch and it was all booked already, but the guest didn’t know.
SUMMER PRICES
We here at Bird Rock are not as generous with discounts during the high season as we are at Earthbox. We have 15 rooms and we usually sell them all. So if a guest really would like a room a little cheaper, send em up to Earthbox, but please don’t undersell our rooms in the summer.
Here is what you can do to spoil our guests:
- Upgrade the guest to a nicer room upon arrival.
- Throw in an extra person at no charge.
- Be nice and friendly and go out of your way to make their stay memorable.
HOT TUB
Dwight says all systems go. Tell guests to please not adjust the temp. It is preset to the right temp.The cover will need to be replaced soon as it is looking shabby, also the eventually the thermostat unit will need to be replaced as well as the buttons are sticking.
GOOD TO BE HOME
yes it is. My friends were on the plane that was landed for a bomb threat you may have heard about on CNN, lucky ducks, they get all the excitement!
UNIREZ RESERVATIONS
I updated our unirez listings so guests can’t book the simple rooms for more than 2 adults/children. Please let me know if we get another overbooking for those rooms.
ROOM RATES MAY
I will adjust the pricing for May to have off season rates through May Mo-Su (some rooms had the weekend prices at the summer rates already).
MARROWSTONE HOT TUB
Is good to go. Please check temperature every morning and notify Seth immediately if the temperature drops again. You can unblock the room.
MARROWSTONE HOT TUB
Stopped working last night. Dwight from Spa Pro walked me through resetting it. I will check it later today. Seth will check it tomorrow and then we’ll go from there. The room is blocked out until Wednesday.
MORGAN
If you and Halley have time will you please create a sheet with all the current adventure provider’s prices (Maya’s prices went up, for example). Also: will you two update the restaurant folder. Thank you.
INTERNET
Firefox keeps crashing. Explorer works o.k., but slow (doesn’t update WRP). Chris T. will be in early next week and wipe our computer. Please blog when he does that and then we should be back in business.
INK
We are running low on printer ink. I ordered it weeks ago, but it’s on back order. So please only print when it’s necessary (don’t stock us up on forms and vouchers etc.)
SCHEDULE
Next week’s schedule looks like a piece or art, with all the changes and everything. Brynn will train with Deb and Morgan and will work Halley’s first shift together with her (I figure between the 2 of them, they can figure out anything). Good luck, girls!
Also: please order food on Monday and again on Thursday.
Don’t forget to bring 2 garbage cans to the curb on Monday and Thursday night.
WELCOME BRYNN
We have a new front desk staff: Brynn. Welcome to the team! We’ll train Brynn at BR and later cross train her.
Deb, Brynn will be your breakfast helper on Sunday. Show her the chops!
Oh, the new email works sweet. Thank you for prepping so well for me today, Morgan.
Computer Updates:
- Thunderbird is now our email program of choice. It has a “learning spam filter” built in. It tends to catch most everything but if you get an email that you know is spam, just hit the spam button at the top and it will get rid of it. Otherwise it pretty much acts just the same as Outlook Express just with a slightly different “look.”
- A pretty gnarly virus was causing most of our internet problems. The virus pretty much attacks Firefox only. Chris thinks he has it all under control but time will tell. Continue to use Firefox as normally but let Chris know if it does anything wonky. If you ever have problems with Firefox, switch to Internet Explorer. It is strangely not affected by this virus.
- For the time being we will continue to use the wifi so please remember not to unplug the antenna.
Thank you to Raquel, Our floors are beautiful. That was the first thing I noticed this morning. Sounds like Airports may be opening back up in England and Germany by Wednesday.
Computer hasn’t given me any problems yet today. I knocking on wood.
Debbie
INTERNET
Is weird. Chris T. will stop by tomorrow morning and fix it. Deb, will you please let him know that in addition to the issues discussed, Morgan thinks that our ethernet card died (see “I make the internet” contraption).
We have a wonderful family from England staying with us. They are stranded here because of the volcano in Iceland, wow. I hope Miss Myah Papaya gets to come back….
Mornin!
Guest #2219877 has a spa voucher in the folder waiting for her. She should be by to get it in the morning.
Guest #2209453 was a no show at closing. The room is paid for by the card on file. They are moving to #2136232 on Sunday. Please let housekeeping know. Guests know that they may not be able to get into the room immediately.
Steffi, Sent you some folks from Germany tonight, Seems you offer a special up there on weekends ? Any ways you will get a kick out of them. I teased them cuz they said they would come here for breaky I said no deal you must stay here he he.
I am bummed it is raining cuz I washed my car. Rain Rain go away…Good Night.
Almost got us 2 small boys today. I asked our guests why not stay a little longer and they said they have to get back, but we could have their kids. But then they decided to take them home after all. Ha,ha.
Another guest hadn’t been on a bike since a bad accident 20 years ago. And she did Pear Point Loop on our bikes! Yeah! I’m so proud of her.
Soco’s English is getting so good. We talked about the economic situation in El Salvador today. Is that cool or what?
Mornin all
The Ethernet card built into the computer may have died. The internet stopped working and the computer would occasionally crash. We have currently set up a wireless adapter to connect to the internet. You shouldn’t have to worry about anything. It should automatically connect when you start up the computer. Chris will be back from his trip near the end of the week. He will come take a look at our problem after that.
Let me know if you have any problems before then. I can try and do what I can until he returns.
Good Day, We have guests from France, Sweden and Canada. Wow lovely to meet all these folks..
Kitchen is in tip top shape, Miss Olga gave Morgan a Hand.
Must say it sure is nice to have Seth on the property , very happy and friendly….
Miss Maya is on her way to Spain, we will miss her.Ok enough gabbing for today.
Aloha
MARROWSTONE
Heating element is ordered. As soon as it gets here Dwight will install it. Hopefully before our Friday check in. Room is blocked out until then.
MARROWSTONE
You guys, the hot tub is out of order in there and will be for another week according to Seth and nobody told me. I checked in guests, have guests tomorrow. The room wasn’t blocked out. Please make sure we communicate better in the future. Luckily our guests were understanding, but what if it was summer and we wouldn’t have another room?
MONDAY
Please bring the forgotten items in the back room to Post San Juan on Monday.
EMAIL
Please file emails you have taken care of.
UPCOMING RESERVATIONS
Please go through upcoming reservations and make sure we didn’t overlook a massage or whale watch request. I found a bunch.
KITCHEN
Morgan and Deb, will you spend some extra time in the kitchen next week and deep clean, so we are ready for Spring? I did underneath the counter with the kitchen aid on it. Can you clean the shelves above please?
Jeepers it is Bloody cold, Pretty mellow evening here at the Bird, even have left over cookies.
I think instead of Lemonade we should be serving hot cider.
Hello, Hot Tub is down for a short while.Seth is handling it. Poor folks only had water up to their ankles last night.
Man oh live it is crazy weather today…Very busy day hard to believe it is 3:30 already. Rolp called and no flower delivery tomorrow as the weather is too rough, next week for sure.
And that’s all for now folks.
Just a reminder. Please only take a 10% deposit on UNIREZ reservation. Not the full amount like it wants you to. Just manually delete the last number and move the decimal place over one. ok? That way when people cancel, like they are wont to do, we aren’t seeing these huge refunds happening on the books. Plus if you look at the UNIREZ gobbledygook at the bottom of reservations it will actually say we only take the 10% at reservation and 100% if they cancel within 10 days of the arrival date. THANKS!!!
DEBBIE WEDNESDAY FOOD COOP
Hey Deb, I ordered 3 gallons of hair conditioner and 3 gallons of shower gel from the food coop. They will call you when the delivery gets there on Wednesday. Could you go up to Earthbox, grab a check from Cindy and go to the coop and pick it up, please? Thank you.
VIRUS
Uh, we had a virus on the computer. Chris T. fixed it and all is good. Our data is (and was) save, but it seriously messed with our ability to go on the web. So for the future: if a window pops up and tells you that the computer is in trouble, that we contracted a virus, that our firewall is down, click the red X of the pop up window and close it, DON’T click on anything else (like: remove virus, etc.). That IS the virus and it gets going if you click on anything else. Our real anti virus software never ever pops up a window.
Had a lovely Easter morning here at the Rock. The weather calmed down, our guests were wonderful, good day.
Looks like snow in the courtyard, what a hail storm we had. Pretty quiet but we have plenty of groceries to hold us over no matter what happens, Maya made cookies too. Wanted to dye some eggs today but not enough time.
Hope everyone had a nice cozy Easter Weekend.
To change room rate, for say, 3 days of a special and the web site will not adjust it automatically, this is what you do… call Morgan. No, do this instead:
1. go to the edit screen
2. go to section 5 rate change
3. go to the rate change box, and add the year, the month and the day divided by a slash and add the rate per day you want..
Example: 2010/04/06, 78.50
2010/04/07, 99.00
This will give you the power to tell the system what to do! I guess it must be in this format with the slashes and commas for it to work.
…or call Morgan.
Good Morning, 2 bowls we had for yogurt and eggs where dropped by me last week, they were replaced the 2 large ones,.They are too big though Sorry.
The wind is calming down thankfully.That’s it for now my scones are done.
Thank you, Myah, for preparing everything so wonderfully for me this morning. And thank you for providing me with a steady stream of reading material. I’m reading “The spirit catches you and you fall down” right now. Fabulous.
Morning Debbie,
will you please make a pot of decaf for our guests in the Lopez?
If my note to my German student is still on the desk tomorrow (I don’t know if she got my message) can you please put the note and the German comic in the luggage room?
Thank you for picking up the pieces on the schedule, you rock my world!
And last but not least, thank you so much, Laura, for giving me a ride to work today. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you.
I noticed the amazing dish disappearance myself. Mhm.
Have a great day, everybody. I hope they don’t mean it with the coming storm.
BUTTER DISHES?
We seem to missing an array of dishes, bowls, plates and little dishes for butter and jam. We could also use some regular size carafs for water if they are available.
TAXI
San Juan Taxi and tour came by with info on good deals for ride to the west side for 20.00 per van load, and they will take bike sand kayaks for an additional fee.
MAPS
Chamber of commerce says we should be getting the 2010 maps soon, but we can pick up some 2009 to tide us over from them.
COMPUTER
Chris T. came by to speedy up the ‘puter. Seems better.
WHEW!
Well it’s the slower part of a busy morning with a wedding, late check out, early check ins, and guests who were too happy to say goodbye. I had to run them out or they would have missed the ferry. We also got a visit from Laura, which is always a welcome surprise.
Hulluu!
There is an email in our inbox without name or content. If you click on it it crashes the email. Chris T. knows about. Don’t touch it.
Does anybody know what happened to our bowls? The 2 we always use for eggs and yogurt disappeared and 4 huge ones appeared, we can’t really use. Raquel doesn’t know, neither does Myah or I, anybody?
I’m also missing printer ink. Ordered 3, can’t find them.
Ordered coffee and scone mix.
I’m gonna miss Jackie and her family. We had a blast over the last 3 days. Morgan, she will be the one who will try to give you a glass of wine even though you are at work:)
We had wonderful guests this weekend, thank you so much for visiting us. Your joy of being here is contagious.
This is the best hotel for girlfriends to gather we have 5 gals that are having a blast,celebrating their friends up coming wedding.The conversation was so great in the lobby that they hung out from 8:00- 11:30.Barely got the floors done for Ms. Steffi. Lots of great energy, Until next time ….
Much Aloha
Debbie
It is so warm I had the front door open this afternoon. Yipeee. One late check in,Elana’s husband is aware .
Going to See Cisco Morris at the High School tonight he is a hoot and a very good gardener.Until Saturday Aloha
Wow what a day !!! Very busy, 2 Batches of Cookies I will try to make some more tomorrow. I’m not even eating any.
Maya I love the key arrangement thank you so much.We have one late check in and I let Elaina’s husband know.
I love this Hotel, and am proud to be a part of it.
Thanks to all the Gals.
Debbie
Great Morning crowd, Everyone is so pleased to be here.Groceries are put away everything is humming here.Say Sunday I put some cash underneath the keyboard it was a tip for the housekeepers ? It is for Socca and Olga.
Picked up some more maps they also are low but expecting the new ones soon. That’s about all for now.
FIRE ALARM
Today we got a new panel for our fire alarm. The fire chief came over, did a walk through and explained how to handle the situation when the alarm goes off:
1) look on panel where the fire alarm originated
2) go to that area and check if there is a fire
3) if there is a fire, evacuate the building and wait for the fire department
4) if there isn’t, press “acknowledge” then “silence” on the panel and wait for the fire department
5) the fire department will re-set the alarm if it was false
Gorgeous day, we are sold out, even though I was almost an hour early Deb left the place spotless and well stocked, what a pleasure. Thanks, Deb!
GLUTEN FREE
Thank you so much, Morgan, for baking a delicious cake for our gluten intolerant guest. She loved it. Our guest who aren’t gluten intolerant loved it too. You rock!
SAN JUAN
Orosco and I cleaned the San Juan today. Boy, she is a harsh teacher. Had me put those pillow cases on right over and over again. Thanks Orosco, for showing me the ropes. That was great fun.
Lovely day here, phones are ringing, flowers are blooming, guests are smiling. That’s all we need.
How does one get a smiley face on her note Steffi ?
Hotel is sparkling clean, ready for the folks to arrive.
Kept myself moving today because it is Chilly….Dancing up a storm just kidding. Ok guys see you next Sunday.
BUSINESS CARDS
We have more business cards on the shelf above the safe. Please have a look.
ROOM TIDY
Morgan, on Mo and Tue would you please tidy the San Juan (make bed, replace towels if applicable, replace coffee, soaps, etc.)? Please give Raquel a call if you have 700 walk-ins and need housekeeping help.
Happy week, everybody. Make the sun come back out!
Good Evening, Just used the last Bird Rock Business cards. Might need to reorder.
Everyone is out for the evening , Back door sounds good to me right now and its great to offer the room service.
Had a few call in for reservations tonight,great specials.
Thats all for tonight!!!!
We got a big load of juice and butter fruit etc. And it’s mostly all put away.
The fruit is all washed and the grapes are already cut into small bunchies. I turned all the berries upside down to keep them fresher.(upside down in their packages, not individually).
Everything is sparkly and fresh and ready for people!
It’s gonna be a great season! You guys make me want to come to work.
ROOM SERVICE
I put Back Door Kitchen menus in almost all our guest directories in the rooms. Myah or Deb, can you please put a menu in the directories of the San Juan, Marrowstone, Bainbridge, Saltspring and Whidbey tomorrow, please?
So as of right this minute we offer room service from their Back Door Kitchen during their regular business hours: Thursdays through Sundays 5PM to 9PM.
Here is how it works:
1) Guest calls back Door Kitchen and orders food.
2) Back Door calls us and asks for a pick up.
3) We go to Back Door and pick up the food.
4) We add the food bill plus 15% to our guest’s invoice.
5) We put food on tray with plates, napkins, silverware and invoice and bring it to guest’s door.
6) We have guest sign invoice and wish him a happy meal.
7) We charge guest’s card or make change if they paid cash. Write guest confirmation number on Back Door invoice and put in safe with other invoices.
PEACE
We give $10 to Habitat for Humanity when you book a room at regular rate…will continue through May, 31, 2010.
LOVE
Book a room at regular rate and we’ll take $20 off any Lavendera spa treatment… will continue through May 31, 2010. Remember: you have to manually adjust the spa treatment rate.
HAPPINESS
Book a Superior or Standard room for one night, get the second night free…continues every day through March 31, 2010. And continues Sundays through Thursdays through May 31, 2010.
Hello All, Just to let you know I did write a long blog last sunday detailing events of Myah’s adventures and mine regarding the fire alarm issues and others but I am not sure what happened to it. I thought I saw it posted but maybe got lost. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I did not slack off on my blog duties. Looks like all has been sorted out and no alarms going off this morning. Touch wood! Lots of young and hip couples in this weekend (lots of piercings!) all very nice and saying they had a great time, that happiness special is well named Steffi!
TIME CLOCK
Chris T. fixed the time clock, so please clock in and out again BUT also fill out a time card for this pay period until we are extra double super sure everything works correctly.
FIRE ALARM
is fixed, yeah. Guardian needs to put a new control panel in. Please blog if that happens during your shift. I want to know. Thank you.
SOY MILK
I put some soy milk in the lobby fridge. Our guests in the San Juan are vegan. They know it’s there. It’s for all guests. Just to let you know.
Welcome to July weather. And sold out Sat night, feels like July there too. Myah had a rather busy morning here so I am blogging for her and me. Such power!
First off, she said many comments regarding how warm the hotel is. What a nice change in the middle of winter. Maybe I will turn the thermostats down to 65 rather than 70. Girls are opening doors and putting on fans during the day. Yep, thats right, it is february. Myah came in this morning to the firealarm going off and guests in the lobby. What a welcome! Elena had come up and was disabling the alarm, then all the fire guys came and did the sweep through. It was on the main floor and ended up in the Speiden. No fire. The lady in the Spieden said the bed was the most comfortable she had ever slept in and she did not budge throughout the three checks they did in that room, she was just too cozy!. Fire chief instructed us NOT to disarm alarm until we had checked all the rooms. OY VEY!
Maya kept breakfast hopping through all this and everyone OK with it. What a woman!
Bikes, getting plenty of issues. Brakes on #5 in bad shape and others looking a little worn out. I think they need some shelter! A little worse for weather wear.
Cleaning girls all doing a sterling job here as usual. There was a check out out of the Whidbey but no reservation on the books for them. Am I confused?
Sold out at the Bird Rock Hotel. Happy guests and a few have gone to dinner at the Back Door Kitchen it re opened Friday night.
Can’t believe what beautiful weather we are having I think it is here to stay. See you guys in March.Going to the coast for gooey ducks.
RATES
Chris and Deb asked when our room rates change:
Starting May 1 we will have summer rates on Fri & Sat and off season rates mid week.
Starting on May 28 our summer rates will be in effect every day until October 1.
EMAIL
Please file emails you dealt with, so the person working after you is not wondering.
WHIDBEY
Our guests, who checked out of the Whidbey today think they forgot something. See note for Olga in back. Will you call them either way, Myah? They are still on the island and only brought the one…
What a fantastic day. I can’t believe this weather. I was sitting on my porch this morning, in a sweatshirt, in February and I was too WARM!
Happy weekend.
WONDERFUL BOSS LADIES
Cindy will be back next Thursday. Laura will be back the week of March 1. Please let people know and ask if I can help them with anything. If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far, just call my name …… well, it probably works better if you call my phone.
FOOD
Hey ladies. I ordered fruit for Saturday. If there is anything we need before Sat or other than fruit, please run to the store. Or walk leisurely.
HAPPINESS
I had some questions from guests about booking the happiness special online. The online rates for the happiness special are a nightly average rate. As in: the Bainbridge Suite costs $257 plus tax per night. That’s the regular rate. If you book the happiness special, it costs $257 the first night and $0 the second, making the nightly average rate $128.50. One of our guests thought is costs $128.50 the first night and the second is free. Please make sure to explain this correctly and quote the correct price. Ask me if you have questions.
Just spoke to BL (beautiful Laura). Please check the hot water in the Lopez tomorrow and blog about temperature. Check it again on Monday and blog about how hot (or not) it was. Laura will then determine what to do next.
Pfffhhh, what a night. O.K. so this is going to be long, bear with me.
Bad news first:
LOPEZ
Around 6PM we ran out of hot water. It seemed like the entire hotel. I called Seth, yanked him away from his dinner (thank you, Seth, you are such a Sweety) and he determined that all the water heaters are working just fine. I asked our guests in the Lopez to wait a little. After a while the hot water came back (probably the entire hotel was taking tubs at the same time). But the Lopez Suite remained without hot water. Our guests were really upset (understandably so). They came here for the tub, they wanted a nice room and I had nowhere to put them. I called around the island, but all the nicer rooms were booked. Finally they just wanted to leave. I felt so bad.
In the middle of all this, Miss Myah called and all I could say was: “We don’t have hot water, I gotta go.” Myah then called Deb and asked if her husband could come check it out. Oh sweet Myah, thank you. Anyway, I called Myah back, she told me that Pete is on his way. I asked her to please call him and cancel. I hope she reached him.
So, we seem to have a problem in the Lopez. I blocked out the room for the next 4 days and asked Laura to call a plumber on Monday.
Have you guys ever had an issue with the Lopez water before? I haven’t.
Deb, please make sure, that Olga and Socco clean the Lopez tomorrow.
MARROWSTONE
Our guests checking into the Marrowstone tomorrow ordered some flowers from SJ Florist. Please put in room, before they arrive. They paid the florist directly.
RACK CARDS
I printed rack cards with the correct rates, so no more guessing. They have 3 rates: spring, summer & fall. I also added how many persons each room sleeps.
RECYCLING
Myah, can you please put the recycling on the curb tomorrow night? Welcome back to work, gorgeous.
CROWS
I counted 64 crows on top of the whale museum today. Those garden destroying rascals.
Other than the poor folks in the Lopez everybody is super sweet and happy. Please forgive us, Lopez guests. Happy VD everybody:)
GUEST DIRECTORIES
Yes, we did! We finally have our super cool looking guest directories in our rooms. Please check them out, so you know what our guests see and can refer to the directory if somebody has questions.
Note: it mentions room service from the Back Door Kitchen. Back Door will be closed until 2/19/10. Then, if somebody wants room service, they will call Back Door and order.
Back Door will call us and we’ll pick it up.
We will charge the amount plus 15% to the guest’s invoice, put the food on a tray with plates, silverware, etc. and bring it to their door. Yeah!
F3
Please know that we don’t expect you to remember everything we blog about, you just have to know how to find it: press F3 to search the blog for keywords. Having said that:
We have new and exciting Spring specials (2/15 -3/31/10).
PEACE
Book a room at regular rate and we’ll donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity to build shelter for our fellow islanders in Haiti.
All you need to do is select that special if a guest wishes to. The boss ladies will tally and donate. IMPORTANT: do not select that special if you give a guest a discount.
LOVE
$20 off any Lavendera Day Spa treatment if you book a room at regular rate.
Book room, book spa treatment of guest’s choice as you would in any other case. IMPORTANT: manually take $20 off spa charge, NOT room charge. We will pay spa their regular
rate.
HAPPINESS
Book a superior or standard room at regular rate, get the 2nd night free. Yes, free.
IMPORTANT: in WRP the room price is simply half off the regular rate. This price is ONLY good if a guest books 2 nights (or more).
Top of the morning, Steffi, Gillian just left and wanted to say good bye to you . Nice entry back into the Hotel, Lots of nice folks and yummy fruit for this time of year.
Everyone is checked out…Closing up the Sweet Bird Rock…See you on the February 12th.
Deb D.
Morning Debbie!
Welcome back. On the desk please find today’s closing and next week’s opening list and the signs for the door, that we are closed. Call me at EB if you have any questions.
What a gorgeous day to open our precious. The sun shining, the flowers blooming, the crows digging the freshly planted flowers out of the planters and throwing them on the sidewalk. What?
Yeah, yesterday, when I brought groceries, all the new flowers laid sadly on the patio. I called Island Garden. They came promptly and said it looked to them like deer. Deer? On First Street? Well, then I was sitting here and about 8 crows flew in and started undoing Island Garden’s work. I’m not sure what they are looking for. They don’t eat the flowers, they just throw them out of the planter and then dig. Mhm. Island Garden will look up what repels crows (Mr. Esspike?). Until then, run out and clap your hands.
RATE SHEET
Our rate sheet (the white guys) are from last year. Our prices went up $10 once the summer rate starts. Please make sure you quote the correct price. The boss ladies are working on the correct rate sheet.
BIKES
Our guests in the Spieden have their bikes looked up with ours. Please unlock them when they want to go on their rides.
FOOD HANDLER’S CARDS
The county has a new system set up where you can just take the test on a computer. Info on pinboard in the back. Make sure your food handler’s card is current. If it isn’t, please update. We pay for it.
TIME CARDS
I will bring more time cards when I get to work tomorrow.
COFFEE
Did you know that San Juan Coffee, which we serve in both of our hotel lobby’s is fair trade and organically grown by small family farms. They are so small that they can’t afford the organic certification, but it’s ethically, environmentally and taste bud wise excellent coffee.
VALENTINE’S
Is just around the corner. Remember last year when there was not a seat in any restaurant to be had? Let our guests know to make dinner reservations early. Here’s what’s open:
Vinnie’s – special menu
COHO – set menu, $35 per person
BLUFF – special menu
McMillan’s – regular menu + set menu for $45 per person
Downriggers – set menu
PILLOWS
After extensive research, Cindy found out who we get our pillows from: Down Inc 800.552.9231
The pillow is the Upside of Down pillow~ 80% White Duck Feathers and 20% down. Next time a guest asks, we’ll know. Thanks, Cindy.
CHRISTMAS TERMINATORS
Myah, Seth, Regino and I were the Christmas terminators today, all gone! Thanks for your help, guys.
MORGAN
Morning! I printed out the closing sign and list for you. Please see second page of closing list for extra special duties. Call me if you have questions or issues.
GARBAGE
Laura and Cindy, what shall we do with the remaining garbage and recycling down here? Maybe we should not have it sitting here for a month?
Happy time off everybody. I will make the February schedule in the last week of January. Call me at home if you have special scheduling requests for the first 2 weeks. I’ll call all of you and let you know when you are back on.
Thanks for a fabulous season and all your hard work. Love you all.
All is well here again. We had a ton of fun with the two, 2 year olds for breakfast this morning. I was thinking about how much fun it would be to run a kid only hotel!!! Kids and pets, no grown ups.
I will get back to you on that idea.
So, our time is coming to an end for a bit of a respite, and I want to let you all know how much fun I have had here at the BR. You all are really wonderful to work with/for, and I hope I can do it again.
so, love many
trust a few,
but learn to paddle your own canoe,
peace, Myah
Good Morning Myah!
Myah?
Are you awake?
Myah? Hello?
Just kidding:)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!
Flowers and champagne are in luggage room for tomorrow’s check-in.
Please remember to file emails away once you have taken care of them. We don’t want to miss anything, but we also don’t want to answer the same question twice.
Hi guys and gals, Pretty quiet here today, even called Morgan to have a chat. Took down the garland around the front desk and door as it was very dry.Hope everyone has a good New Year Celebration and I look forward to 2010. CHEERS !!!!
STEALING CHRISTMAS
Alright, it’s official. On Saturday 1/2/10 we will take the Christmas decoration down in the lobby. Please put everything neatly away in the boxes in the back. Seth will remove the tree that day as well.
ICE ICE BABY
Please make sure to salt our patio and the sidewalk around our building. Salt is in the storage shed on the patio where the hot tub chemicals are as well.
SAN JUAN
I chatted with our guest today about visiting Orcas Island and I think she thinks she is checking out Tuesday. We only have her on the books until tomorrow. Will you clarify with her, Chris?
GARBAGE
Please make sure to bring 2 garbage cans to the street on Monday and on Thursday.
NEW YEARS
Here is the action to be had in FH: The Bluff and COHO are serving dinner, The Bluff has live music after 9PM, the Front Street Ale House is serving dinner until 10PM, then it’s a party with games, live music and even, wait for it…. noise makers, oh yeah!
CALLS
I got 3 inquiries for January reservations today. I told them to please come back some other time:(
Boy, that is chilly tonight. Drive slow everybody.
The roads were really icy this morning, but who can complain it is so beautiful,just drive slow. Say I will get our pan back It was loaned out to our guest in the San Juan.
Everyone is sleeping in this morning and my scones are getting cold…Butter is thawing and cookies will be made.
PRICE CHECK
Just a reminder: our Romance Package is $175 ($75 dining credit,$30 champagne, $55 flowers, $15 chocolates).
Whale Watching with Capt. Maya is $79 per person.
Please remember those. When we bill our guests for a third party add-on we’ll lose money if you quote an incorrect price.
EGG POT
Where is our egg cooking pot? There is a tiny pot with no lid, which doesn’t really do the job. Anybody?
DEB-COOKIE DOUGH
Debbie, can you start a cookie dough tomorrow or if you are too busy, please put a butter out, so it’s room temp when I get there. Great idea on the egg nog. Our guests are loving it.
CINDY – LAURA – CHRISTMAS DECO
When would you like us to take the decorations down? Our tree and greenery is getting dry and I would like to have the hotel all ready in case we open for that group in January.
Last week, everybody. I won’t order any more food. Please run to the store if you need something. Don’t over purchase.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, Awesome day here at the Bird Rock. Although not too much selection for dinner tonight on the island. Coho one cancellation at 7:00 and Port Vino said she would take folks just in case they didnt get a meal. Anyways I have a date with Santa so Love to all and Have a good night.
Check notes today, there is a romance pkg for the 25th.
some remote check ins, and I gotta go, call me if you need anything…zxooxoxoxox love you all
Myah
CHECK-INS CHRISTMAS
Myah and Morgan, will you please call all our check-ins for 12/24 and 12/25 and let them know our opening hours? Please write in the guest comment section that you called and what our guests said. Thank you.
SETH
Will be leaving for Alaska tomorrow and will be gone for a week. Please call Cindy or I for maintenance issues. If it’s something minor, call Regino or DIY.
Happy beginning of Winter, everybody. Shortest day – check, and onward.
Cheers,It so smells like Christmas @ The Bird Rock Hotel and I love it. Say I didn’t know we were open on January 01,I am scheduled 2;00-9;30 but had made plans to go skiing anyone need a shift ? Please let me know ASAP. Thanks Debbie
SAN JUAN
Myah’s friend in the San Juan put some gifts in the back room. She will wrap them tomorrow. Have her do that in an open room on the ground floor if possible.
FOOD
I will order food on Sunday for Tuesday. Please run to the store if we need something until then.
PAYCHECKS
Oh lovely boss ladies. Thank you so much for the lovely handcrafted paychecks, cards, candy and everything. You are the very bestest there is.
Steffi and Daniel are my new superheros. What is their special power you may ask… Carrying wood. Yes, they saved this soon-to-be fire-starved woman. The dynamic duo brought and stacked an entire load of beautiful rounds under my deck yesterday. What a wonderful treat to come home to. Thank you for saving my back side!
TOMORROW PARTEEEEEEEEEEE
Yeah! Bring a dish and a gift and your jolly spirit. I’m so looking forward to hanging out with all of you all at once.
Thanks, Deb, for making cookie dough. It got raving reviews by our guests. Call Morgan if you have any problems with closing.
DINING CREDITS
Just a reminder: we currently only give dining credits to the following restaurants: Back Door Kitchen (closes on 12/19 for the season), Duck Soup Inn (currently closed until Spring), COHO, The Place & The Bluff.
Very pleasant night here at the Bird Rock, wonderful people, good conversation, even my feet are warm.
Hi all, Happy all-the-days, if you say that with a bit of an English accent is sounds like “holidays”.
The hotel was a cold maiden today, it took awhile for her to heat up. The San Juan was very fridged and the heaters I put up there kept tripping the breaker. Also, I understand that some our thermostats read backwards, but we still must push the little do-hicky thing up regardless of the numbers, right?
I made an impromtu wine and flower welcome gift from a mom of a guest. I used our cash and have her card number just don’t know how to charge her for it. It was for the folks staying in the spieden room on 12/11, but it’s a surprise so don’t charge the guests. We’ll talk.
Shannon came by to tend the dead flowers pots today. It looks so empty compared to the summer. Maybe we can decorate it up somehow.
Happy Birthday Debbie on Monday! I hope all your wishes come true.
See you later,
Myah
RAQUEL
Is off tomorrow. Please call Regino or I if you have any issues.
FIGGY PUDDING
Oh man, you guys need to hit up Myah for some of her figgy pudding she made. I’m not into Christmassy caky things, but that was so tasty, I just gobbled down the whole thing. Thanks M.
I just wanted to give you guys a heads up for the busy season. I know, at this point, you’re wondering what busy season, that seems like so far away. But it will come again and when it does, we will need to refer to other properties.
Among the other great properties to whom we refer, I would like you to consider referring our guests to the Friday Harbor Suites when we are sold out. They will be referring back to us as well. Their units are quite lovely and they have water views. They are located above the Golden Triangle. Check out their website at http://www.sanjuanislandsuites.com and if you have time call them to see them up close and personal. Their telephone number is 317-6423.
These folks will be coming by to take a closer look at our properties as well. Please be your normal gracious selves.
Ladies,
we got ourselves a decorated Christmas tree! Uh, it smells so good in here. I asked several guests to tell me the bitter truth, does it look tasteful or not. They said it did. But ultimately we need the eyes of BL (Beautiful Laura) to determine if it’s Bird Rock worthy.
Please remember to water the tree and unplug all indoor Christmas deco before you leave for the night.
MAYA’S CHARTERS
Capt. Maya asked to please ask our guests if they have a car. He took 2 of our guests out today, picked them up and drove them back here(for free, because we didn’t let them know he would charge $20) and it turned out they had their car with them and could have driven out to Snug Harbor.
Wind is picking up again, but the sun will stay for another week, yeah!
INVALID CREDIT CARD
WRP has a new trick or tick, rather. Whenever you edit a reservation and save, it gives you the “invalid cc” error. It’s lying. The credit cards aren’t invalid. All you need to do is select what credit card type you got (visa, master, amex) and it lets you save.
Hi Everyone, Tis really good to be home and delightful to be at Windermere last night and see Bird Rock all lite up with Christmas lights. Good job.
Guest will be arriving some time today and Maya and I will have a few more decorations up, Tree tomorrow
Yipee….
SCHEDULE
We made some changes to next week’s schedule. I will put them up on Saturday. Debbie, make sure to have me show you the opening and closing lists, because you are it next week. Welcome back. We missed you.
LIGHTS
Elena will turn off the Christmas lights at night during her nightly walk-through. All we need to do is to turn them on around 4PM every day. San Juan only if the room is empty.
LIDS
There is a whole box of lids on top of the fridge.
HEAT
Raquel will bring us space heaters on Thursday, for the front desk and in case one of our guests is not snuggely enough.
DO NOT DISTURB
We all agree that those little signs are useful for guests needing privacy and to insure safety and dignity of the housekeepers. Do we have some?
Stickers
Housekeeping needs “lotion” stickers. This may be something Laura has in her computer?
Lids
for coffee to go? We are out of them unless there is a secret stash.
Heater?
It’s is pretty cold here at the front desk, is there a little heater we can run so our hands don’t freeze? Maybe some heaters for guest rooms?
Steffi
Welcome back! I hope you had a relaxing get away. I missed you!
Hope everyone had a great turkey day. All quiet and calm here. The guys set up the outside Christmas lights and there are four locations where we need to unplug in the mid morning and turn back on around 4PM. Outside the kitchen door, by the guest computer, outside the marrtowstone suite and inside the San juan. This will not work very well tho unless the room is empty as the balcony door needs to remain cracked and cord run into the kitchen, not doable with a guest checked in, OK if it is empty. Do these lights want to remain on the whole time we are closed midweek? Please have the powers that be let us know. Maya, guest moved from Lopez to Fidalgo, see notes in res, so the lopez needs to be cleaned on Friday for the new booking that is now coming in on FRiday. Plenty of fruit for Fri and prob sat, maybe not sunday. I guess just buy enough to get through since we will be closed next week. Also coffee order tomorrow (were closed today) Late check in to San Juan last night came after I left so have not spoken with them in person, but room was prepaid as a gift.
MORGAN SUNDAY 11/29
We will be closing the hotel on Sunday, 11/29. Dani will make breakfast for our guests and wish them farewell. Morgan, would you go down to Bird Rock and help Dani close the hotel that day, please? Alternately if you can’t get away, walk her through it, then go down there at shift change and do a final walk through. Thank you so much.
BED & BREAKFAST.COM
This is really important: we do NOT participate in their promotions. We do NOT accept their gift cards. As a matter of fact the only gift certificates we accept are issued by us. The only specials we have are created by Adam and listed on our website.
So if somebody asks us to honor a special from the B&B.com site, we don’t participate. If a guests makes a reservation with a gift certificate, make sure it was issued by us.
Thank you.
Uh, what a storm last night. Thank you, Chris, for preparing flash lights and communicating with our guests who were stranded on the mainland. You are the best.
BAINBRIDGE
Is dirty for tomorrow. Please let HK know.
SALTSPRING
Had 2 inches of water in entrance way when Chris opened today. It’s gone now, but we should keep an eye on water pooling there.
MARROWSTONE
Fire place stopped working. I called Vanderyacht and they fixed it just in time for our guests to snuggle up in front while the winds are picking up again.
ROOF SHINGLES
We lost some last night. Lets keep our eyes out for leaks the next time it pours (ah, in 20 minutes?).
KEYS
We are low on some room keys. Please let’s write again in the guest comment section how many keys we give each party upon check-in and let our guests know that a lost key will incur a $50 surcharge.
Also, Chris, the labeler is right behind you on the back desk, the little Brother thingy.
THE LAST OF SUMMER
Picked the last rose from our patio today, which is filling the lobby with its lovely smell . Ate the last of Chris’ delicious, firm Roma tomatoes (thank you for sharing your bounty). Had the last sip of Laura’s homemade apple cider (never tasted anything sweeter). Today was the last day the food co-op door will open with the old code, so if you haven’t renewed yet, do it soon.
And that concludes officially our summer.
Don’t forget to upgrade our lovely guests whenever possible. Nothing nicer than to snuggle up in a two person jetted tub and a cup of hot coco when the winds howl outside, your belly is full of a lovingly prepared island grown meal from Back Door Kitchen or COHO and all your worries are, for the moment at least, an ocean away.
Alls swell here, everyone tucked in and cozy and happy so far. Maya or Steffi, the family in bainbridge need to turn in their voucher or GC or whatever, really nice folks who came in a little late. Bike #10 has a bent rear wheel so don’t give it out. I left a maintenance request. Couple in Fidalgo here for the weekend have signed their waiver and will probably bike again tomorrow. Left the GC on desk for steffi to mail, need a little sticker for the certificate. Speiden keys really low, was going to attach a card to the last one but unable to find the lable maker. Had to dump all the half and half unfortunately, but it was on sale next door tonight. Clear out fruit over the weekend and I can restock next week when I open on Wednesday if you like!
Morning Chris,
I have the coffee and hot water air pot here at Earthbox. We needed it for a meeting in the conference center. I’ll bring them back down tomorrow, shortly after you open.
The dishes in the dishwasher are clean. I judged my time incorrectly and the machine wasn’t yet done washing by closing. Sorry about making you unload them. Pretty slow night even though there were a fair amount of phone calls.
WEDNESDAY CLOSURE
Hey Deb & Morgan. Will you two go over the hotel closing procedures on Tuesday, so Debbie feels comfortable doing it on Wednesday, please? Print out the closing list and the sign for the front door. And please go over the blocking & locking of the door. There are blocking cards in the safe (have a B on them). Please call Cindy if you guys have any questions. Raquel will do a final walk through after HK is finished cleaning the rooms on Wednesday.
20 YEARS
20 years ago today the wall came down. I was having dinner at a friend’s place not even a half a mile from the wall. We didn’t hear until the next morning when we walked outside. The entire city was pulsing. Everybody was laughing or crying or both, mostly both. The famously unfriendly Berliners all hugging each other and sharing their liquor. One of the most amazing days of my life.
Morning Chris,
Please tidy the Marrowstone today. Don’t worry about the check outs, I blocked out the rooms and Olga will clean them on Tuesday.
Have a fabulous day!
Hello wonderful Bird Rocking Ladies!
Next week: guest starring MORGAN as: the guy!
ROOM STAYOVERS – OFF SEASON
The boss ladies decided when there is only one room staying over not to call in Housekeepers. Instead us, the front desk, will tidy the room. Here is how this works: Raquel will call the night before to see how many rooms we have. If it’s only one, she will instruct the night person to blog about that one room needing a tidy by a front desk person.
In the next week Raquel will show each of us how it’s done. Questions? Ask Raquel and I.
POWER OUTAGE
If we ever have a power outage and therefore can’t use the computer, we won’t know in which rooms to check in guests. So during the stormy season, please print today’s check in receipts in the morning (go to Check ins, on the upper right corner of the page is a button saying “Print Day’s PDF Receipts”. Hit it.
Also in case of no internet or power outage: call Laura. Between her lap top and her phone she most likely can access our reservation system.
WHEN RAQUEL CALLS AT NIGHT
What she wants to know is how many rooms are checking out and staying over the following day. She is not getting the correct info from us, which is frustrating for her. So, when she calls, please do the following in WRP:
1) go to tomorrows date
2) go to “check outs”, scroll to the bottom of the page, let her know how many there are
3) go to “check ins”, scroll to the bottom of the page and let her know how many “stay throughs” there are
4) Double check that you are really on tomorrow’s date, not today, not some other date, only tomorrow’s date.
BACK DOOR KITCHEN
Will serve their last supper of the season on December 19 and will re-open in mid February.
Hello, Jeepers feel like a long time since Ive been here. Stormy evening but cozy inside. Waiting for my people to arrive..
FYI Very important meeting 11/09/09 at Mullis Center , Common Sense Alliance at 5;30.Try to make it.www.commonsensealliance.net check this out.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
Starts tonight. Spring ahead, fall back. I turned all lobby and kitchen clocks back an hour. I also changed the room clocks of unsold rooms. I left little post-it notes (yes, I did, I used post-it notes, it was hard, but I did, for the cause)on the clocks I changed, so we don’t get confused. Myah, will you please let Olga know and remind her to change all room clocks today before leaving? Thank you.
The Gods shined on the American Camp wedding today, sunshine, beautiful ceremony, I’m so glad. I was worried last night when I drove home in 40 miles per hour winds. One guest drove one of our beach cruisers to the wedding and back. I have to say, I’m very impressed.
Thank you so much, Deb, for saving us this morning. You are the Best.
Have a grandiose morning, Myah. I’ll see you in a bit.
SUNDAY
We will close the hotel on Sunday instead of Monday. I will come in around noon and Myah and I will lock her up. This will affect Morgan and Khai and they know.
I made blocking cards (remember, staff meeting: something something keys). They are in the top shelf of the safe, labeled “B”. Please all take
one.
BEEP BEEP
Around 4 it started beeping. I traced the beep to the third floor and called Sergeant Seth, who located the culprit and eliminated him.
STORMWATER
I had a meeting with a very nice man from the county, who had a little presentation for all businesses about water pollution and what we can do to help. I hung his flyer above the fire alarm. Please read. The issue is that our storm water floods unmitigated into our bay. And some people don’t act accordingly. For example washing your car in the street sends soap suds into the water and kills fish, so does of course motor oil, anti freeze, etc.
We as a hotel don’t contribute to this kind of pollution. But still, I was glad to see that our county and city is raising awareness.
Happy, upgraded guests all going to a wedding on South Beach tomorrow. That will be a windy affair, I’ll bet.
Happy weekend, everybody.
Please, please call me (Dani)! I would love to work for anyone who needs it! My schedule at the dock is very flexible now days, so I’m open to cover whatever you need! Just give me a call 472-0673!
SWITCHING SHIFTS
Sweethearts, I need to know who is working. Switching shifts is perfectly fine with me, but give us a call here at Earthbox, so we can update our schedules as well.
EMERGENCY
Hope, everything is good now, Myah. In case of, you know what, call Cindy in the mornings and on Tue & Wed, call me in the evenings and on weekends. If we aren’t there, call Laura and/or one of your co-workers to get covered what needs to be covered.
Hello everyone! I’m just dropping in at the EB & BR to say goodbye. To all I haven’t had a chance to say goodbye to: It really has been a pleasure working with you. I’ll miss you all and I’ll be sending warm thoughts your way! Take Care!
I’m a little off my game today, I had a home emergency which is resolved now but Darling Morgan came to my rescue at 7:30 this morning. I need to have a list of people to call in case of….
SADIE
It’s Sadie’s last day on Wednesday. Bye, bye, Sweety. Good luck with everything. We’ll send you strong “finding work & housing” thoughts. Please send us some warm weather from Hawai. It was great meeting you. Don’t be a stranger.
Also: will you please leave your all access key and the EB office keys in the BR safe?
Oh, the book: T.C. Boyle, A Friend of the Earth. have fun.
Hello,It was so nice to see the sun make an appearance after all that rain.Cookies are in the oven and it smells terrific. Send me some guest we are ready!!!!
$$
I reconciled money today and we are $20 short exactly. Sounds like one of us went shopping and forgot to bring the receipt and the change back. Can you all go through your purses and help me solve the mystery, please?
EGGS
Deb, I forgot to order eggs today. Can you go get some from the store, please?
MARROWSTONE
The hot tub is a little luke warmish. I turned it up. Will you please ask our guests if it’s warm enough? Also, will all of you check it daily, please?
FORMS/SIGNS/SIGNS/FORMS
I made a mid-week closing sign for the door and check lists to open and close the hotel mid-week. Check them out, they are on the desktop. I also put a hard copy in our front desk resource book.
I would like you all to print out the correct check list, use, sign and date and put in my box once we start closing mid-week. Please ask me if you have any questions.
Uh, the autumn is here, no denying it now. 6PM and it’s dark. But the guest we do have are happy as clams.
Happy week everybody.
Thank you, Dani, for getting the expired keys to EB and making the existing keys all pretty.
Thank you, Morgan, for initializing the expired keys and bringing them back to us. You guys rock!
#1888879
Please read notes and do your Myah magic.
LOPEZ
Chocolates, champagne and card all ready to go into the Lopez tomorrow.
SWITCHEROO
Halley can’t work tomorrow. I will work her shift at EB, Dani will work my shift here from 5-10. Myah, let me know if you can’t be here until 5. Morgan and I will figure something out.
DANI
Will stay around probably until the end of January. So, if you need a shift covered, call Chris or her.
It’s supposed to be nicish tomorrow. Western Prince has plenty of availability for their noon trip. Have a great weekend everybody.
-The ladies staying in The Salt Spring checked-out last night (the 22nd). They moved to EB.
-The man staying in The Orcas (1912262, please read note)is a walk-in from last night. He originally was staying for just the night, but decided later to stay another night, checking out the 24th. He will pay in the morning, use your judgment when deciding how much to charge him for his 2nd night. Also, please make sure he knows that The Orcas isn’t available tomorrow night, he’ll be switching to The Fidalgo.
-I tried calling Lavendera to make sure they reserved Robert Nicol’s massages with no luck. I decided to wait to add the fees and make vouchers until we get their confirmation.
To all BR ladies…
-There was a message left from what sounded like a David Frasier?? His message was very difficult to understand so I’m not sure if I even got the correct name. All I could understand was that he was wanting to cancel his reservation for Friday. He didn’t specify which, so I’m assuming this Friday. He left a phone number, which sounded like 509.6308, I tried, but I don’t think it was correct. Anyway, I could not find his reservation. Please look out for this, I want to make sure we don’t charge him for no-showing…
MARROWSTONE
Seth installed a new CO1 detector. The old one was obviously faulty. Let’s keep an eye out. If the new one is acting up as well, we night have to think about installing it a little further away from the fireplace. It is behind the couch. In case it makes a sound, look at it, it will display what the issue is. Call Seth and tell him. But hopefully, all is good.
Good day here @ the Bird Rock Hotel. Our lobby is sparkling clean with Olga and Socco doing their thing and I helped. Dani is here early so I am off to Windermere. Have a great evening.
Here’s a good one, our guest in the Bainbridge asked me for a fan this morning, so i asked was the room too hot ? No it is just so quiet we need some noise….Go figure!!!!!Have a great Sunday.
Here a good one that I haven’t heard yet. Some folks that are staying in the Bainbridge would like a fan, I ask if the room is too hot? No but it is so quiet we need it for the noise. You gotta love it!!!!!
MARROWSTONE
Our guests were bothered again by the beeping sound. Olga determined it was the carbon monoxide detector. It must be faulty. We’ll have Seth check it out on Monday. Moved guests. Deb, please let Olga know that the room needs to be cleaned.
SERVING PLATTERS
Beautiful Laura got us new serving platters. Oh, check them out. Very nice. Let’s use the oval bowl for eggs and the rectangular platters for fruit and what not.
YOGURT
I organized our yogurt abundance by date. Please use the Tillamok brand first and then serve by expiration date.
KITCHEN CEILING
Have a look by sink. If this gets worse, call Seth.
So foggy and rainy out. The perfect day to snuggle up in a 2 person jetted tub with some cookies and bubbli, oh yeah!
Thursday evening, Our last guests arrived..Thanks for the help on the rooms Steffi. The computer is very tired. Attached to my night shift duties is a report Disk Defragmenter this helped a bit.
There is no room in our fridge….we are packed with goodies.
ALARM?
a guest told me an alarm went off in the marrowstone in the middle of the night last night. I have not been able to get any info from the night manager on what happened. Just a heads up.
Jeans and a Sweater, were last seen together in the san juan suite, mingling and co-mingling.Their owner would like them home if sighted. Her rez # is 1878409, and her address and # are on file.
FOOD
we just got in a lot of it, so I didn’t place an order today.
HOT
Cute-hot-tub-guy was here and said the tub looks fabulous!
Yippee Skippy, Bruce the appliance guy just left we should have our first batch of ice shortly.It is close to 5:00 where is my relief woman.Hope she is here soon.
Tuesday afternoon, Called Appliance Repair and left message earlier today , haven’t heard from them yet.
Pretty mellow around the hotel today. One more check in this afternoon. We have enough Yogurt and Milk to last us awhile.Specially since there are fewer quests.
Our guest in the Fidalgo has a great suggestion for our bed frames the small lights in the clear tubes he thinks this would help for bruised knees, He is so sweet.
He has recently lost his wife after 51 years and has come to our island for some comfort.
ICE MACHINE
Please blog when the Bruce’s Appliance Repair guy shows up.
A WORD ABOUT HEAT
T’is that time of the year. So we have in-floor heating. Coils poured into the concrete. If you turn the heat up or down in our rooms, you won’t feel any difference for 6 or so hours. When you do your daily walk-throughs, make sure all heaters are around 65/70. As a special challenge we have a couple of thermostats, which are backwards (Succia is one of them, I’m sure we will remember the others soon). It’s best just to leave the heat right there in the middle. And once we close midweek, the heat stays on, otherwise we’ll have frosty guests all Thursdays. Give our guests a little space heater if they are cold (there are a couple in the luggage room, Raquel will bring us some more).
LOBBY: it gets chilly in here, but we can’t turn the heat higher than 70, our beautiful floor won’t take it. So if you are chilly, put a little space heater behind the front desk.
SPIEDEN BATHROOM: doesn’t have heat. If you have chilly guests, please supply a space heater.
And I think these are all the tricks.
RESTAURANTS
Make sure to call ahead when sending guests to dinner. Everybody is changing their opening hours now. Vinnie’s is closed on Sundays again, so is the Bluff. Back Door serves Thurs through Sunday for a little while longer. If you are bored, call them all and make us a list.
Uh, I’m all cold now. Deb graduated from fire place school today. Of course she aced it. More fruit and coffee tomorrow.
Have a great week everybody.
ICE MACHINE
Is out of order. After Seth cleaned it, it didn’t make any ice. Then after resetting it several times it started to make scary noises and still no ice. I turned it off and called Bruce’s appliance repair. I assume we won’t hear from them until Monday. When they come, the manual is in the upper file cabinet in the way back. Please get ice from King’s until then.
SHARED BATHROOMS
Regino and I stocked the shared bathroom shelves with rolled hand-towels. The new hampers look fabulous. I made tasteful signs to distinguish them from garbage receptacles.
It was summer busy today. Yeah, middle of October and being sold out!
Good evening , It is all good here tonight and I appreciate the notes on the fireplace, Thank you Steffi. Our flowers from Rolph are beautiful, and the lobby is sparkling, we need some pumpkins around. Maybe some little ones.
Thats all for tonight. Sleep tight!!!
ALL FRONT DESK STAFF MEETING
Please join us on Thursday 10/22/09 at 3PM in the Earthbox Lobby for an all front desk staff meeting. This is a mandatory meeting. Sadie and Dani may join us, but don’t have to (maybe you can woman the front desks during the meeting).
MASSAGE TREATMENTS
Ladies, please make sure when you book a massage to adjust the treatment price if applicable. As in: guest chose “massage” on website, $85 was charged to his invoice. When talking to the guest, she decides on a deep tissue massage. We need to adjust massage price to $95. Thank you.
PILOT LIGHT SCHOOL
Hey Deb, let’s do a little lesson at shift change on Sunday. Also: when you open the fire place panel, to your right is a little metal tag with a description on how to put on the pilot. And here is an easy 1-2-3-4-5
1) Turn right button to “pilot light” and hold for 30 seconds.
2) while holding pilot light button press ignator button on your left until pilot light is lit. Hold pilot light button for another 30 seconds.
4) gently release pilot light button and turn to “on”
5) press middle button (off-auto-on) to on and the fire goes on, yeah!
FOOD
I ordered from Tom, he said the order will be here Monday except for the milk which will be here Saturday. We might have to patch in some things over the weekend, like yogurt and milk and fruit.
ICE ICE BABY
We don’t have any. The ice machine is down. Seth was cleaning it but I don’t know whats going on with it now, except it’s not making little cubes of frozen water.
It is absolutely gorgeous today! What a week.
That’s it for now.
Hello, Can someone give me a lesson on how to ignite the pilot light in our rooms and to make them work , Winter is here and folks want them lite.They had it on last eve but somehow turned off the pilot, shoot I need a manual.Other than that we are having a good evening and pink skies are gorgeous.
Guest in Sucia LOVES THE ESPRESSO MAKER! He even came down to tell me and to get more coffee pods! That’s one for the espresso maker.
He also was able to peel one of the really fresh eggs without a flaw. I was really impressed by that.And…. he said he went to see Mona the camel and she let him pet her, does she do that? His name is Jeremy and he has some skills!
SETH the DOLL
Lit the pilot in the Bainbridge and he cleaned out the ice maker and needs more “product” if anyone knows what that means.
I am making apple sauce with the long-time-apple- -residents of the Bird Rock Hotel. It smells delicious.
Thanks Dani for cleaning the coffee pots, I didn’t even know you could get them that clean.
FRUIT
We could use some red or purple fruit for the morning, it is looking a little monochromatic in my opinion. Maybe raspberries?
Hello all.
Just a few things I was thinking about:
LOST-Has anyone seen the lid to the other plastic juice pitcher? I can’t find it anywhere.
COFFEE- This is the second night in a row I have thrown away a full pot(small silver pitcher) of coffee. So in the future I think we should only make pots when the pump-pot is empty. Because after about 4pm, no one really drinks much coffee, and I hate to waste it. So only brew coffee if we are totally out! Please please and thank you Thank you!!
and speaking of coffee…I puro-cafed all of the silver pots and the large pump pots. They really needed it! Maybe we should add that to the chore list?
Ladies, please remember to take out the recycling on Sunday as well as the garbage on Mondays and Thursdays. Seth has been saving us lately from garbage world… Thank you!
Hello, any body know where the fall ferry schedules are? I thought we had a box of them here.We are ready for our next round of guest, Hotel looking good.
Good morning, the folks at the Bird Rock are inspiring we only have to bikes left in our rack.
Makes me want to hop on one.
lots of stay overs today, going to be busy for Housekeeping.
WOW! I love cool computer tricks, I just searched for the words “eggs”, “for”, “happy”, “sunny”… hit high-light all, and BINGO! Thanks for that Laura.
There is nothing like the sight of a Booking page that says all are checked IN!! Lovely.
Good morning Dardinelli, watch for the folks in the BB and the Lopez….funny people, they might get you with a joke early in the morning, stay on your toes. lol, myah
Maya called and has the phone no worries. 2 Early check ins!!! thank fully , only 2 guest for breaky as the Honeymooners aren’t coming out much , wow the sun is blazing I am opening the doors.Deb
Hey, did you guys know that you can search this blog to find the answers to frequently asked questions? Yes, all you have to do is click your cursor on the page and then hit F3. At the bottom left in your screen will appear a box where you can search for things like:
PAINT
where you will find this helpful posting by Kaitlyn way back when: “the wall color in the hotel is Baja Dunes benjamin moore paint and trim is glaciar white”
Good morning Debbie—- Here is the news for the night. I cannot find the phone for Elena. I called and left a message with Myah to see if she has it. Elena told me to put her cell # on a note for the sign. Please call Myah again and see if she has the phone, I have looked everywhere! Thanks and have a super, duper day!
Hey guys! Very slow, quiet night. I am feeling “under the weather” tonight. Survived the evening so that is good. Just a couple of things to know:
A. The spa called again regarding their change of hours (scroll down to Cindy’s message if you missed it).
B. I cannot find anymore coffee, so Debbie will need to order more tomorrow.
C. This is my last night here at the rock for the season. Thank you to everyone ! What a great staff we have here and at the EB! You guys are all rock stars and I have loved working here! Have a super winter…see you around…..
SADIE- make sure you open and confirm the milk/cream is bad. Because the date printed on the side is the sell by date, not the go bad date. Milk is normally good at least a week or so after that date. So make sure you check so we don’t waste perfectly delicious goods!:)
STEFFI- my parents have chickens that are laying eggs like crazy! They are small brown eggs, but are organic and all that good stuff. Let me know if your interested! Also I’ve gotten a few requests for honey to go with the tea. Is that something we might consider getting?
ANYONE and EVERYONE!- I would love to pick up any extra shifts anyone needs covered! My schedule is pretty open and flexible these days so, with a few days notice, I am able to take any shift you need covered. Let me know!!
Getting the hang of things again! Good to be back!
CO OP
I did pick up the order of shampoos and goo.
PAINT
I have people asking all the time for the make and color of paint here, I just have been making names up like, “bamboo-latte” and “organic mocha-whip, shaken, not stirred” ..but what is the real color and brand?
GRAPES
We have 4023 individual grapes, that’s a lot. Maybe we can make grape pie? Yummm I wonder why no one has ever thought of that before.
LIGHT
Seth fixed the one outside.
Hi everyone..
The spa called today, they have new hours..
Monday thru Thursday they will be open from 12:00pm to 6:15pm, the last appointment being 5:15pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be normal business hours. Of course if you have a guest that would like appointments at times that they are not open you may call the spa and they will try to get a therapist in for the appointment.
Happy September 30th….
Here it is 8:00 AM and NO ONE is here for breakfast!
We have hot delicious scones, in perfect little shapes,
Red ripe strawberries practically begging to be savored,
Plump dusky blueberries, so rich and ripe they look as if they will just get up and start dancing,
Kiwis,
Apples lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar,
Hot dark and moody coffee, to lift even the grumpiest of gray clouds,
The Yogurt is standing proud and ready, the silverware is sparkling clean and in neat rows of shiny utilitarian splendar,
Where are all the People???
I’m ready for some people, asking questions, excited for an adventure in the gorgeous san juan islands……
Bruce appliance guy came by ran rinse cycle seems to be working alright, he mentioned to be careful not to use wrong dish soap or over use soap .
Pretty good night but very quiet. We still need light bulb changed out front door.
Sunday I am scheduled here and Windermere I can open here 7;30- 10:00 can anyone help me out ?
Coffee maker was picked up by San Juan Coffee he will be in touch.
Guess what?? Debbie and I have found the Bird Cookie Recipe! Yipee! You can find it in the Recipe folder on the 2nd shelf next to the fridge.
Also, is it necessary to stock up on food so much food now that things have slowed down quite a bit? I had to throw out 2 half gallons of half & half that had expired. One of them hadn’t even been opened yet. We also have enough eggs to last a life time. They’ll go quickly once we make more cookies, though…
Cooling down, wow the front door is still open but it is starting to feel chilly at night. Guest are all checked in and everyone is out for dinner. Kind of quiet at the moment. Bikes still need some attention.Thanks Debbie
1803755 & 1803752
still owe money. The host of the memorial party will pay for the room. I saw her, but all her guests had just arrived and I felt it was not the right time. Sadie, will you please make sure the balances will be taken care of before check out? Thank you.
DISHWASHER
Is doing that thing again where dishes don’t get spanking clean. Do a good hand-washing before putting them in. I’ll call the repair man on Monday.
$$
I keep coming up short. Please make sure to submit every receipt and initial it.
COOKIE RECIPE
Where did that go? Anybody seen it?
WHAT DIED IN THE FREEZER?
Is a question we here at Bird Rock do not want to ask ourselves. So now where we are starting to slow down, I would like us all to adhere to the deep cleaning schedule (on the fridge). Let’s be on it this week. And don’t forget to put those garbage cans out.
SUNDAY – recycling (sorry, Deb, you got all the hauling shifts this week), MONDAY – 2 garbage cans, THURSDAY – 2 garbage cans.
WEDNESDAY – MYAH
Can you please get a check from Cindy and go over to the food co-op to pick up 5 gallons of shampoo and 2 gallons of shower gel. They’ll call you when the delivery comes. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all your help with the medical emergency today. You are the best.
Morning Myah!
Happy Day to you. Photos of the lobby and the outside will be taken on Saturday morning. Make sure, everything looks good. Thank you.
CYPRESS
The bathroom sink doesn’t drain. Please have a look. If we can’t fix it, call Seth. We’ll have new guests checking in.
ESPRESSO MAKERS
Steve from SJ Coffee Co will stop by next week and pick up the espresso maker in the luggage room. Please give it to him. He may be able to help us with our espresso maker issues. Yippiieeh!
Gorgeous day, lovely people, love the flowers, indoor and out, aaahhh.
Thank you, Ladies!
Tomorrow, please no early check-ins, so the photographer can take pictures between 1PM and 3PM. Thank you. Can’t wait to see your magic garden.
Hi all, Another Bike blew a tire, if any of the guys have time to look through our fleet that would be neat. Mainly men’s seem worst for the wear. Maya and I totally spruced up the gardens wow if we say so our selves.Check it out. Don’t know if we have been missing our garbage pick ups but my back hurts from all the stuff I took out tonight.I am off to Twisp for a few days and we will see you all on Sunday. Aloha
Wow! Great to be back. Glad to see Dani is back on board as well. Dani, we have a check off sheet for the AM and PM shifts to keep up on what to do. It seems to work well.
I just got a lot of flowers for the lobby, but I am not much of an arranger so if you want to jump in be my guest. We do have Sunset magazine here for the next couple of days right?
The Goodalls are staying with us and they have extended an invitation to share their rented mini van for a share of the cost, for tomorrow(9/25) at 10:00 AM for and hour or 2 to tour the island. They have room for 6 more people and their # is 760 518 7860. I think he said the whole van was 60.00, so a share will be a good deal.
I ordered food for Sat. with Tom except for Oats which only come in 50 lb. bags, so I held off, due to the season.Can we get some at the market?
The dish washer is full of standing water, I’m scared to run it. More on that later, or no news is good news.
I am off to Browne’s to get fresh flowers for our boxes here. I am totally dressed for gardening….velvet pants and a white blouse, ha.
So, that’s it from me…. Oh yeh, everyone is happy here, and one guest raved about our website (Adam) and said she planned her entire trip from google earth and bird rock website. Love it.
TTFN Myah PApaya
Hello everyone! Its good to be back!.. but I am a little rusty on things, so if I miss anything or there is something I should know please, please write me a little note or something to fill me in.;)
Very quiet here tonight…but just a few things..
1) Steffi- what should we do about reservation 1841933? she was a no-show, we called her but have not heard back???
2)also, no need to make cookie dough for at least a few days! we should wait until we get a little low (like one/two bags) before we keep making more, so it stays fresh..
That’s all for me! Good night!
(I miss you Myah! Hope I get to see you at a shift change soon! love love)
Everyone’s in for the night and all is quiet. 1841933 was supposed to have checked-in yesterday into the Patos. I noticed she hadn’t ever check-in when I looked at all the check-outs for today and noticed she still had an owing balance. I’m not sure if someone had forgotten to check her in or if just never really did arrive. Debbie has left a message for her, so hopefully we’ll hear back tomorrow. I’ve just left the remaining balance until we sort things out.
Sadie, please put the individual coffee packages in the right lower drawer of the lobby counter (put where the decaf individual coffee packages are). Please let Olga know I got them.
I brought you guys a gallon of lobby floor cleaner. Don’t say I never get you anything;)
It’s a pretty mellow day at Bird Rock. I’ve made plenty of cookie dough, which should last us quite a few days. Our coffee was delivered today. 1 bag of decaf, 1 of regular. There was also a paper bag of small coffee packets, I’m assuming they’re for the rooms but wasn’t sure to put them. Steffi, do these go in the cabinet along with the espresso pods?? For now, they are sitting in the back on the table. It’s a good day, all guests seem to be very pleased with BR…
Morning Sadie,
have a fabulicious shift!
Oh you got to make sure our guests in the Whidbey get some cookies today. They tried 3 times and always were just one cookie too late. Maybe bake them a small plate and bring it to them?
Please read notes on 1837963 and 1856557.
If the photography director from Sunset contacts you via phone or email, please let me know (read email in inbox).
Please show Dani the night shift check list and ask if she has any questions.
Welcome back, Dani! I’m up at EB, call me with issues. If you have a chance, please read up on the blog and the emails (new specials!).
Welcome back Myah Papaya, traveling queen! Please don’t forget to order food on Thursday. Call me if you have questions. Please also read up on everything.
Brought your “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” back (it’s in the back), thank you, that was just what I needed. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Turkey procreation. Wow. I laughed so hard at their first attempts and I actually cried when they hatched.
Now I’m starting “The Women” by TC Boyle, about architect Frank Loyd Wright. Did you guys know we have a genuine Wright house on Bailer Hill. When you come from town and the hill gets real steep and then flattens out, look to your right. Very cool.
Sunday in the afternoon, This job is so much fun, especially meeting folks from all over the planet.I took a spin on our bike and it seems they all need a bit of air, cooler weather and busy season has their tires low. Ready to go to the beach after work. See you next week.
Morning Deb,
Woah, thanks for having the bathrooms fixed. Socco reenacted the event for me.
I exchanged the printer cartridges (last one for the black). Will order more soon.
You are low on milk, you’ll probably be fine through breakfast.
Happy, pleasant day here. Lot’s of people looking for rooms. But we didn’t have any
Sent them to EB though
See you at 2.
Wow what an awesome day. A bit Breezy but SUNNY, Stephi our quest from Sunset will be arriving around 6:00 leaving Lopez at 4:30,The restrooms have been fixed up with CLOBBER, the local plumber came to our rescue this morning.
Morning Deb!
What are you wearing?
Please read alarms(2 to deal with today:) and email I wrote.
I o.k.ed a noon check out for the folks in the Whidbey, who will switch into the Speiden. Please have the housekeepers work on the Speiden first, so we can get those honeymooners into their room soon.
Lovely night here at the Rock. See you tomorrow.
Hi all, Colin Williams called this morning to see if we had sent his credit card that he left behind, I checked in the safe , If someone has sent it please call him @ 206-499-8335. Thanks so much, he will call if it arrives.Very busy day haven’t even cleaned up yet.Better get going.
Hello fellow employees! This part of the message is mainly for Deb, since she is opening in the morning. I checked and doubled checked my list and I think everything is ready for you in the morning. I am nervous, it has been awhile since I have worked down here.
The lobby is all sparkly…except…
We are out of “floor cleaner”. I cleaned it with a damp cloth, but we do need to get some cleaner. I have no idea where you get it, Sadie did write it on the board.
As far as the garbage goes, it was an interesting night. There are some shingles? on a dolly by the back gate where the garbage is. It is blocking the gate, and the dolly is so heavy I could not budge it! I had to take the garbage cans out through the lobby. I could not lift the heaviest one, but at least I got two cans to the road. Phew!
All is calm tonight, everyone has come back from dinner and given me wonderful reviews, it is making me hungry.
I’ve ordered a huge amount of food today from Tom. Hard to believe how quickly everything goes! We are practically out of all fruit so Carla is going to run to the store so that Debbie will be prepared for tomorrow morning.
Mya-
Colby from CBS asked that you call him back at 866.768.0804
SADIE
Morning gorgeous. Please don’t forget to order coffee and bring the postcards and old printer cartridges to the post office.
Also during shift change on Thursday will you please show Carla our side duty list and ask her if she has any questions. It has been a while since she worked a night shift.
….and for the next three nights, guest starring MORGAN as the night shift. Yeah! Please bring 2 garbage cans to the street tomorrow night.
Check out our new specials by reading Adam’s emails and also look at the websites, so you know what our guests see.
Uh, the newlyweds in the San Juan are so cute. They came here married less than 24 hours ago and were just beaming. All they need is love, dumpti dumpti dum…
#1786003, #1844508, #1843838
All one guest checking out today. I printed out his invoices and wrote little explanations next to the charges. Please give to him at check out (I’ll leave it on the desk)
#1739796
These poor guys. They came from the Sydney ferry. The ferry workers ushered them into the wrong lane and didn’t let them off in FH. They had to go to Anacortes, are currently sitting at the Mc Donalds there and will arrive at 2AM. They will switch rooms tomorrow, but we will let them sleep in, please.
I’m waiting for another party (Bainbridge). I hope they check in with me before I leave.
Oh my we had the best morning, The Brainbridge suite with the door open with the girls getting ready for a wedding.She looked amazing and the photographer took pictures next our beautiful roses.Our guest really enjoyed the whole thing.
TECHNICAL AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES
Please read #1844508 and #1841058. I also couldn’t print most of my shift (mainly because I just didn’t have the time to crawl under the desk and check it out). So some people might ask for their invoices. It’s working now.
ADVENTURE & MASSAGE CANCELLATIONS
Please remember that the spa and other adventure providers have a similar cancellation policy to ours. If you cancel within 10 days and they can’t resell the add-on, the guest will be charged in full. Make sure you let all our guests know when you book an add-on.
EXTRA FRONT DOOR KEYS
Super Morgan kindly brought us (on a Susie’s Moped no less) some extra front door keys. They are in the upper shelf of the safe.
ORANGE SWEATER
Deb, can you ask the housekeepers if they found an orange sweater, please (see email)?
Hello, Only one room left tonight, I sure would be tempted to check it out. Lots of great folks enjoying the lobby tonight, We could use some bleach for coffee mugs.
Maya call me @ Windermere tomorrow if you have any questions. Have a Great one.
Hello, Very nice evening here @ The Bird…This new schedule is very nice. Only one cup of tea to keep me alert.Everyone loves this hotel and it is a pleasure to work here.Cheers…
FOOD
We have everything on the order!!! We have enough strawberry yogurt for a year.
PIE
I made one tonight out of the outdated apples.I used a bottle of champagne to roll out the dough. I haven’t made a pie since last winter, it was theraputic.
Next WEEK
I found a ride to No. Cal to see my girls next week,(so happy to see them I could cry)and I need to fill in the days that I’m on the schedule. I hope it’s not too late to tweak it to work for everyone.
PEOPLE
We have some characters here tonight, I mean funny people. Everyone loves the Hotel Bird Rock. they ooo and awe over everything. I’m gonna ooo and awe over that pie when it’s done.
QUESTION
If a hen and a half, could lay an egg and a half, in a day and a half,
How long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?
Anyone?
~myah~ =^^= ( kitty face )
Well, today officially ends our summer season. Not so for Bird Rock Hotel. We keep packing them in for at least another 2 weeks. Keep making those bookings, ladies! Great job.
NIGHT SHIFT
The PM shift, starting today, goes now from 2:00PM to 10:00PM, with the AM person leaving at 2:30PM. Except on Fridays and Saturdays, when the PM shift remains 3:00PM to 11:00PM, with the AM person leaving at 3:30PM (through September).
ALARMS
Don’t forget to follow up on those alarms.
GARBAGE
Thank you Seth, for saving us from garbage hell today.
Don’t forget to bring those 2 cans to the curb on Mondays and Thursdays (see deep cleaning schedule).
All is good. I’m gonna have myself a day off in my lovely new house, snacking on my own apples and blackberries, trying to psych out the bats hanging from the porch (they are so totally underimpressed by my presence). Peace out.
OUR LOVELY GUESTS
are such good sports with the rain and all. We had a line tonight, because people where eating in their rooms and wanted to do their dishes in the lobby. WANTED is the important word here. I finally had to just grab them and explain that doing dishes is not allowed on vacation. Great folks here tonight, loving it.
SADIE
Will stay with us until the end of September, yeah! If anybody needs a day off on the current schedule, give her a ring.
LOPEZ
The Lopez couch, when folded out into a bed, doesn’t fold back in. No problem for the current guests, who stay until Tuesday (and have the cutest tiny baby girl). Wrote maintenance report.
ESPRESSO PODS
We are getting low. I ordered some more.
Wow. Maybe I should take time off more often. The place looks great. Front desk, luggage room and kitchen organized, lobby sparkling clean, vouchers made. You guys are so good. Thank you.
Sadie, I got enough granola for sat. but you will need to get more for Sun. if our food order doesn’t come in, mm-kay?
Please check e-mail for request for a long massage apt. for guest. It’s too late for me to call.
have a great weekend ya’ll, think of me camping with my mom in her hippy bus at Lake Dale in the rain ….Kum-by-ya,
Myah
Yeah, Sadie! Thank you. Well, let’s move on to berries. Blueberries sound good?
Have a great Labor Day weekend, everybody. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
Sadie did make a food order, it is on the white board, but we are out of granola, I got enough for the morning as well as some fruit. Strawberries are on their way out of season. They sure were good while they lasted.
Everyone is happy here at the Bird Rock! I am rockin here at the Happy.
FOOD
Sadie did order food. She wrote the order on the white board. We do need granola, and strawberries are so out of season, it might be time to re think that particular juicy fruit.
XXXXXXXOOOOXXX
Debbie you got a phone call from a thankful guest tonight. He was very happy to be here and appreciated you sending his clothes back so quickly.
We are still taking reservations pretty steadily. I better find out how late our season goes in to the next season.
Shiney-Happy-People!
Peace,Out.
FOOD
Debbie, I don’t know if Sadie ordered some food today. She may not have since I didn’t explicitly say it. Can you give Tom a call and see if he can hook us up for Saturday, please? I have no idea what we need, fruit, milk, yogurt, Myah says granola. See if he can do something for us. If not, let’s call each other around 1 (I’m at EB at 12:30)and one of us can go to MP and do a big weekend shopping fest. Yippieh!
High pitched beeping found. The Marrowstone’s fire alarm in the living room was making an annoying constant beeping sound. The alarm panel didn’t say anything was happening but the red light on the alarm was blinking too. I don’t know if that means anything though. The beeping would randomly start, go for a while and then turn off. The start up a bit later. The only thing I could think of doing was to take down the smoke alarm. It is currently sitting on the back table. Please give Seth a call in the morning to inform him. Thank you.
Okay here we go:
- Cookie dough made
- Sea Quest vouchers created and printed out.
- Lavendera vouchers printed
- Bainbridge guests decided not to have a fire so the pilot light is not lit.
- I hope there is a food order coming tomorrow because otherwise you have just enough of the staples to make it through breakfast.
- There is this high pitched beeping that happens every now and then. I can’t figure out where it’s coming from.
Shannon wants to check the flower boxes in the San Juan when it is convenient, her cell is 472-1162.The guests are staying till the 4th.
A couple of Assessors came by today with clip boards and curious(smiley) expressions. Just thought you’d want to know.
The guests staying in the Bainbridge would like the fire place on for tomorrow. It needs the pilot light to be lit. Please call Seth or someone who knows how to do it, thanks.
Our cute little butter dishes seem to be scarce these days. Anyone know where they are hiding?
everyone is here and happily ticked in to bed for the night. All is well.
Myah
Very quiet night… Good morning Elena! The dishes in the dishwasher are clean. I started to make cookie dough, but had to stop when I realized we were out of eggs. So you’ll probably need to make a store run at some point tomorrow. Just a reminder, we will need to place a food order on Tuesday since today’s wasn’t placed in time.
The cookies seem to be a hit even though it is the brown flour, That is good because we have a lot of it. Vacuumed Dani’s room and it is a lot fresher. We have some guest that inquired as to the where abouts of Ms Maya Papaya. You’ve got some new friends.
No sign of our orange kitten,well that’s all for tonight.Debbie
Yeah! Thanks Deb, for doing the scone thing. I’m glad everything is fine with the hot tub. Thank you all for not dropping the ball. I send you warmth, Debbie!
Took Scone Boxes to UPS today Tracking invoice is with invoices.
Hot tub was emptied and refilled on the 08/27/09. Sorry I Forgot to blog about it last evening.
Lots of groovy folks here tonight.
What happened to the hot weather though ? I am in a dress.Brr. Debbie
We have lots of scone mix not sure where to put it all it is a project.Made cookies but not with white flour, we will see how they measure up.
Very Busy stocking and trying to organize, put out 3 trash cans because we needed too.
Very nice and warm here but a nice trade wind coming through the front door. I’m feeling very Hawaiian. ALOHA Debbie
FRONT DOOR
All of our all access keys can permanently open or close the front door. So if it doesn’t stay open, put in your all access key and “double dip” until it blinks green and stays open.
KEYS
Please remember to write in the guest remark section how many keys you give to a guest. I will send Morgan down there this weekend to remake guest room keys.
SCONE MIX
Please place the return labels on the “wrong” scone mix and call fedex or UPS (don’t know which one delivered) for a pick up. Blog about it, so I know it’s done.
Correct scone mix was delivered today!! I also placed a food order with Tom for fruit, eggs and yogurt to be delivered Saturday. I stored a couple freshly caught salmon (tightly wrapped) in the freezer for the couple staying in the Saltspring. They will pick it up before departing tomorrow.
Before I forget:
Connifer called today to say, they are shipping the correct shipment to us today. The return call tags will be inside the new shipment to return the other order.
myah
Nothing extremely important to pass on tonight. I’ve had two walk-ins tonight, both very sweet couples who were very pleased that we had openings. 1 room away from being completely booked for the night! Have a fantastic morning, Elena!
SCONE MIX
ISSUE SOLVED! phew! Conifer Inc called today and we sorted the whole thing out. They will issue call tags for the two boxes that were incorrectly delivered. They will send immediately 5- 25 pound boxes of the bulk scone mix and re-do all of the paperwork. In the meantime there is another case of the wrong size scone mix on the way and we will need to refuse the delivery so that it is automatically sent back to them. YAY!
BROKEN LAMP
One of our guest’s bathrobes got caught on the light fixture right outside the Skipjack. Lot’s of broken glass. Our guest is o.k. I cleaned it up good. Please apologize to our guests if I annoyed them with vacuuming so late, but I wanted to make sure nobody cuts their feet. Wrote maintenance request to replace light fixture.
SKIPJACK, LOPEZ, SUCIA
All leave early and have a little breakfast sack in their room already.
WEDNESDAY
Myah or Elena, please pick up 4 gallons of hand soap from the food co-op. They will call when the truck comes. All paid, just go there and get it.
THURSDAY
Sadie, please be the ordering queen again.
SUNDAY
Elena, please put in a food order.
I won’t be here all next week. Remember: ears, eyes, blog, call, email. The big white lady is in your hands. Treat her and her occupants like the apple of your eye.
SPEIDEN
Elena, can you ask the housekeepers if they found shampoo from a guest in the room, please (see email).
SCONE MIX
Wrong wrong wrong. Let’s use the pitifully small packages, send the 2 boxes under the Cuisinart back and I’ll re-order the bulk stuff on Monday.
CHEERIOS
Also totally wrong. The box is in the luggage room. Tom knows. Please send back with Tuesday’s order.
SJ coffee delivered the decaf. I put the little individual pks in the drawer with all the others, and the big bag is next to the regular coffee in the usual spot.
It’s blustery tonight. Perfect San Juan August.
Oh yeh, I freshened up our apple monument: still life with Granny-Smith tonight. It’s back to it’s shiney greeney self.
We are out of luggage tickets here, will someone please bring some down here?
We received two boxes of scone mix, and one box of individual size boxes of mix. I won’t un pack it in case we need to send it back. It’s next to the fridge.
I filled in with a fruit shopping at the market, but we are low on eggs, some fruit, milk and OJ.
Another peaceful night here at he Bird Rock, rock-a-bye-bye-baby.
Our green apple statue is missing some pizazz, It’s looking kind of low. I think we are out of apples to prop it up.
Hey, you know the beautiful little butter buds we serve in the morning? Well it turns out we need the mini ice cream scoop to make those little cuties look good. You should see what I made out of butter and a spoon. sad. Can we get another scoop?
We also need some colored chalk for our all important chalk board, our chalks are so small, we are getting the dreaded finger nail thing going…eeewwww you know the sound!
OK, I better post this before I get timed out.
It’s all what we think it is.
Myah
YEAH!
Thank you all for keeping me posted. I’m loving it!
Co-op: The hand soap is on back-order. I’ll re-order next week and we simply paid for it already.
Check out our new Trip Advisor review. Keep up the excellent work, Bird Rocking ladies!
CO-OP
I picked up the things from the Co-op today but it seems not everything was delivered, I gave them the check for the amount it was written for and they will issue us a credit on the next order. They also said they would e-mail Steffi but just a heads up.
You do what you do, until you get where your going. All is well here nice and quiet with happy guests, who I have warned of the dreaded Karaoke and the location of earplugs. I also offered to a couple of them that if the noise was horrible we could give them a noon check-out. Hope you are having a great morning Sadie.
Top of the morning, I have a favor to ask, I am scheduled for Friday Aug 21rst 7;30 -3:00 I had made plans for being at the Woodstock fest that weekend, Carla said she could work 7:30 – 11:00 would anyone be able to do 11:00 – 3:00. So greatly appreciated. Please call me ….Debbie
Gee, I had just written a bunch of interesting stuff in here, but I got timed out or something and now it’s too late for me to remember what it was I had to say other than the Cheerios just exploded all over the floor and I need to clean them up, even though they do sound good when they are stepped on. I’ll be home tomorrow if there is a question, maybe I’ll remember then.
xoxoxo myah
Marrowstone has a shower valve that needs to be replaced.The Honeymooners are great and we gifted them with a bottle of Champagne. Seth is aware of the problem.
Having problems with the codes for the T.V. in the Whidbey, took the troubleshooting book with me but the codes seem to be the hang up.
It would be helpful to have guides to coffee makers in every room. Shaw now has one, not sure about all the rooms.
We have a wee little orange kitten that has been out back crying,if we can catch him I would give him a great home.Debb
The Marrowstone shower valve needs to be replaced, it is running pretty good, I gave the couple a bottle of Champagne for their patience plus it is their Honeymoon, they are great.
It would be nice to make some more helpful brochurs on our coffee makers,Also a guide to the T.V. channels.
We had a walk in and they took the Matia for a night maybe 2.That’s it for now.
COFFEE
Hasn’t been delivered yet today, If we don’t get any by 4:00pm we should go down there and get at least a small bag to tide us over, and confirm that they have an order for us while there.
BAINBRIDGE
The window in the King bedroom is not working someone will stop by tomorrow to fix it.
SCONE MIX
Someone left a message with the call center, but the number they gave is not working I also called the 800 number but had no luck.
TVs
2 TV’s were delivered today One is a backup but I don’t know what the other one is for.
MONDAY
Elena, please confirm the scone order I phoned in. Use 800-588-9160 (their local number isn’t working).
TUESDAY
Seth and I determined that the Skipjack’s TV receiver is defect, no remote does the trick. Until then, let Skipjack guests know how to manually change channels, the remote still does volume.
Called Brian from our friends at Direct TV. He will send a new box. It will be here Tuesday. Elena, Myah, please call Seth when it gets here.
WEDNESDAY
Debbie, please get a check from Cindy and pick up body care products from the food co-op (Surina business park). If an Earthbox employee is available, you might want to drag him or her along, it’s quite a few items (4x shower gel, 4x conditioner, 4x hand soap).
THURSDAY
Sadie, please put in a food order with Tom. I started a list on the white board. Don’t order hole cases of fruit, we don’t have to and don’t really have enough room to store fruit in this weather.
BLOG
Please blog about above items so I know they have been taken care of. Remember, you are my eyes and ears during the week. Speaking of it: when did the health department come and inspect the hot tub? I need to know those things.
Thank you all for your hard work. It’s the middle of the high season and I know it’s hard sometimes. But remember, our guests now deserve the same attention, smile, helpfulness and compassion we gave our guests back in June. This is their vacation and we will make it memorable and smooth. Go BR!!!
WHIDBEY
I spoke with the lady this morning and filled out an incident report. I don’t know if this was done last night or not, but I thought I should just to be safe. I was very apologetic, and offered that if she wanted to go to the Medical Center we would be happy to take care of the costs. She said she was fine and just wanted some ice and for us to make a sign or put something on the step for future guests. I will make a sign (bright Red?) and put it on the step.
#1692087
Has kayak tour with San Juan Excursions in the morning. Elena, can you double check that, pick up spot, etc. I wasn’t really aware SJE does Kayak trips, apparently they do. And let guest know.
WHIDBEY
Our lovely guest in the Whidbey tripped over the little step going into the living room area and fell. Please ask her how she is and if there is anything we can do.
SKIPJACK
TV remote doesn’t respond (sound does, nothing else moves it). I called our good friends at Direct TV, exchanged remotes, but failed to successfully reprogram the remote. Can you do that, Elena?
PATOS
The guests checking into the Patos thought they had 2 beds (Travelocity). I moved them to EB, sold the room for tonight, but we have it for the next 3 nights. Sell away!
KEYS
Please write in the guest remarks how many keys you gave to a guest.
DAILY CHECK LISTS
Please continue to use the daily check lists. And don’t forget the deep cleaning!
Deb, Myah, Elena
I have time cards for you in the back. Please correct and put in safe.
EL ALARMO DEL FIRE
Some more. Soooo, if it goes off again this weekend:
1) Make sure it there is no fire
2) Silence
3) call dispatcher at 378-4151 to let them know it’s a false alarm and the fire department doesn’t have to show up
4) Call Seth to help with resetting, disarming etc.
Good evening, New hot plate wrote the date of purchase on receipt. Morgan did not have time to make cookie dough but butter is thawing.Very busy evening lots of folks looking for lodging, Town is hopping.
8/11
James from Guardian security was here and gave us instructions for checking the smoke detectors. There is a zone-map in the panel.James really seems to know what he is doing.
Our upstairs computer has viruses and can be removed by someone with administrative powers.
We got a load of groceries yesterday and I put them away according to dates. The yogurt on the top left is dated 09/09 and the yogurt on the left is dated 10/ 09. The melons don’t fit in the fridge.
We have a sweet couple getting married at circle park today, the bride walked out of the hotel in her white dress along a path of rose petals, from our very own rose bush.
I couldn’t check the hot tub because we had a stay over till thurs.
till next time, Myah
TV
The Patos TV is going out:( so we will need to get it replaced, in the meantime, we have moved the 2nd TV from the Fidalgo into the Patos. Mr. Seth is doing this today:) Laura please ask me about the TV replacement for the Patos.
Window washers
The window washers will be arriving on Friday August 21, they will be cleaning windows between 11:00am and 2:00pm. They will on being doing the outside.
Fire Alarm
Hurray, Guardian is back at it again today and trying to fix out little hassle, hopefully by tomorrow it will all be quiet around there.
Have fun at the fair this week..
HI I am having problems with the TV took the manual up to skipjack and patos. Can’t get the entire code in, any suggestions ? We have a full house tonight.
I know it’s difficult to believe, but at about 5:55 this evening the fire alarm went off. A couple guys from the fire department immediately came over and checked out each room on the 3rd floor with me. They had come to the conclusion that it was set off by steam coming from the Cypress shower. The alarm was turned off and all went back to normal until 10 minutes later when it went off once again. I went through the same deal with the fire department, who decided to disable the alarm. Everything is fine now, I’ve left messages with Guardian Security letting them know of our false alarms and Seth instructed me over the phone how to turn off the alarm system completely. He will be in tomorrow to work on it.
I allowed Kevin Beach to switch from the Patos to the Shaw since he wanted a private bathroom. For some reason the computer wouldn’t allow me to change his room so I created a new reservation under his name. I deducted what he had already paid for the Patos from the total of the Shaw.
Elena, have a fantastic morning! …with no surprising alarms! Steffi, Your welcome! I’m so glad everything turned out smoothly. And thank you for helping me out. Goodnight, Bird Rock!!
SADIE
You rocked my world tonight. Thank you so much for dealing with the alarm issue so calmly and competently. I really truly appreciate it. You are the best:)
Hey all. I left my sunglasses here at the desk on Friday and was wondering if anyone has seen them. Please let me know. They are aviator style with amber/brown lenses. Thanks!
FIRE ALARM
here we went again. Twice tonight, 3rd floor. The fire department shut it off. We’ll have to do walk throughs every half hour. Sadie put more walk through sheets out. Cindy, Laura and I will decide on a course of action tomorrow.
Hang in there, guys, this too shall pass.
COMPUTER
Something really weird just happened. Our computer shut down, while I was working on it. I turned it back on and it said I should switch to an outlet immediately since my battery is low. Mhm. I checked all the connections. We are plugged in, surge suppressor works fine. I guess if you can read this, you won’t have an issue. I’ll leave a message with Chris, hoping this is not some indication that the computer is on its way out.
ELENA
Will you call Tom tomorrow and order the things on the white board for Tuesday, please? Feel free to add if you see fit. Please blog about it so I know it’s done. Thank you.
TRAP
We caught some, we caught some. It’s working. There is a new herb shop at the Surina Park. I’ll try to get some rue from there.
HOLE PUNCHER
Can’t find it. Anybody?
THE SPIEL
We had several guests getting parking tickets today and yesterday, as well as somebody who had no idea about the pool and hot tub use at Earthbox.
Please make sure to mention the following things to EVERY guest upon check in:
KEYS (for room, for front door, for pool at EB)
BREAKFAST (from 8-10 in the lobby)
PARKING (2 hour street parking around the hotel, 8 hour at the court house, limitless at Earthbox)
CHECK OUT (is at 11AM)
REMOTES (one for TV, one for fan & lights)
ESPRESSO MAKER (little description by cups)
EARPLUGS (and why)
…and please don’t forget to write in the guest comments how many keys you gave to each guest.
It’s the wedding weekend. All the pretty people. It’s still not sure if it wants to rain or not. I wouldn’t mind. It’s so cold at night, but we can’t make a fire because everything is so bone dry.
THE REMEDY (not just an awesome song by Jason Mraz)
but I finally found one for our fruit flies, Steffi will try and track down some Rue (herb) for us. Fruit flies hate the stuff. For now though all fruit should stay off the counter so that the fruit flies will fall into my ingeniously devised trap( cue evil laugh) Melons and oranges are in the small black fridge.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS
We are down to the last few cups of the little yummies, unless there is a stash I don’t know about.
HOT TUB GUY
Mr. cute hot tub guy gave me the low down on how to keep it sparkling clean. I love chemistry projects.
ORCAS ORCAS EVERYWHERE
Guests are thrilled to see so many whales today on their kayak trips. I heard there was a calf on one side of the boats, and the mother dove under them and popped up on the other side. It was a thrill and a half.
THANK YOU
…Sadie and Debbie, you know what for. xoxox
Hey gals and guys, I took an extra day this week, and would love it if one of you would want to work for me this Thurs 3-11.(8/6)
Let me know. 378 3668. Fanks.
Myah Papaya
Whew wee, Very Very Busy, Thanks to Olga who continued to help with everything, we are getting caught up. Elena we need to get a lot of Vouchers made up please, Need one for A kayak trip for today.Cypress had a noisy night with trucks.#1744738.Fire Alarms seem to be working just fine thanks Seth.
HOT TUB
Debbie and I have not gotten the 411 on the hot tub yet. While we are on the subject, I think it would be a spiffy idea to have a big-oll umbrella over the hot tub, for…ur, privacy. If not an umbrella maybe some vines, or a couple dozen balloons. Just a thought.
CAMODE
Being a person who lives on property with a low yeild well, I have become very water conscious. I have noticed that when the lobby toilet flushes(and it has been a bit dicey lately) it gobbles up a lot of water. Where is all that water going? Anyway….
So many happy and interesting guests here at the Bird Rock Hotel.
SHINE
Debbie, it looks so good in here, it really shines! Bueno.
All is well, all is right.August full moon tomorrow…awooooooo!!!
KEYS
Let’s go back to writing in the guest remark section how many keys we checked out. Let’s start tomorrow.
Elena, thanks for working on a key inventory. Let me know when to call the locksmith.
Everybody was so happy today. Just a house full of happy, glowing, lovely people, a real joy to be around and rather contagious. Thank you, Bird Rock guests.
NEVERMIND
Ooops Sadie you can disregard my earlier blog about coming in early on Friday, I meant it to be for Steffi on Saturday. Can you come in early please? We have a big wedding party and I have to be down there by 3:30
HOT TUB
Elena will you set some time aside on Monday & Tuesday during shift change, to go over the hot tub chemicals with Deb & Myah, please? Please blog about it, so I’ll know. Thank you.
FIRE ALARM
Please use the property walk through log on the front desk and initial every half hour when you do a walk through.
MONDAY
Please bring the outgoing mail to the post office on Monday.
SADIE
Please call me at 1 on Thursday and we’ll do a fun fun food order.
Thanks Myah for holding the rooms for the Legion, you did the right thing. I actually tried to call you right back yesterday, but the phone kept going to the call center.
I hope you Bird Rockstars are having a great day…enjoying the cooler weather.
SPA
Was horrible today is everyone remembering to check it? I had to empty half the water and redo all the chemicals. If the guests ask why it is still a little cloudy just let them know that the majority of the water is new and all the chemicals should be on point.
KEYS
I have started a project for the keys basically because I am very tired of making keys on the spot while guests are checking in. But we need to be really, really sure that we are monitoring the keys. Is the log not working? Does anyone have some suggestions on how it might work better?
SCHEDULE
Can anyone trade with me to work Tuesday night? I would really appreciate it. Also SADIE can you come in a little early on Friday? We are hosting a private party at the place and I will need to be there by 3:30. Thanks
I left msgs for Laura with regards to the Legion’s room reservations, but I went ahead and booked Shannon the 3 rooms he wanted and put them on his card. He will want to eventually put the rest of the cost on the Legion’s card.The rooms are: Marrowstone,Spiden and Orcas, for the 10th of Aug.
KEYS
I called Kyle, the locksmith and left a message to please stop by and make some more Saltspring keys and 5 more masters. Raquel said some Housekeeper’s masters don’t open all doors.
FIRE ALARM
Elena, can you please print out your walk-through log. All, please initial the log every half hour when you do your walk through. This too shall pass.
ALARM AGAIN
This time they had the fire trucks revved up and ready to roll! After much investigation and loud screaming alarm checks, Chief Vern decided to dis-arm the alarm, so now we must go on fire patrol every half hour and fill out a log. hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
BATH CHAIR
Is here in a box, I’ll let Seth know
BATH MAT
The one in the tub for the shared bathroom looks like it needs to be retired.Really.
Good Evening, There is a note here to Laura & Adam from some folks that stayed w/ us sometime ago. They use to get email from the hotel.And would like to again, note is in the receipt file. Very busy afternoon. More cookies in the freezer, and everything fully stocked.The Saltspring is having a key issue,But have 2 working back ups.Looks like it is an amazing sunset.
ADA BATHTUB CHAIR
is also on the way. We got it for an upcoming reservation in the Bainbridge. Our guest has a little trouble walking and I promised we would provide it. Please blog when it comes, call Seth if it needs assembling and keep in our bathroom, so we all know where it is when she comes.
FIRE ALARM
Our troubles are almost over. Hang in there.
Thank you all for your hard work. Our reviews on Trip Advisor are terrific thanks to you, you, you!
FIRE ALARM
Yet AGAIN, a false alarm at 7:33pm,I went to the third floor checked around all okay, silenced, reset and called the monitoring station. They were no help. I am hoping it doesn’t go off agian tonight
Another false fire alarm, turned off pretty quickly.Frank from The Fire house thinks it is maybe coming from an outside source. Maybe a fan or something up there to keep the air moving. Guest are hot but seemingly happy.Gave the garden plants an extra dose of water. I am going swimming in my pool as soon as I get home.
Espresso pods
The housekeepers are down to only one box of regular coffee for all three floors. Laura can you please order some? Raquel says to please not order this item from Gerard.
Hey Steffi, the cash drawer is short $100 because I paid “The Place” for the gift voucher. I was planning on putting it in the blog, but the fire alarm kept going off and it was a crazy on Wednesday. Sorry.
$$
I just reconciled our cash and we are $100 short, even. Anybody? There is a gift certificate for the Place, issues by Elena from the Bird Rock Staff, for $100 in the cash drawer. Does that have something to do with it? Please let me know.
NO SHOW
When you close and you have a now show:
1) call the guest
2) If you can’t reach them, let night manager know you have a now show
3) Print out receipt of no show (don’t charge card) and leave on desk, writing NO SHOW real big on it.
If you come in in the morning and see the invoice saying NO SHOW, check the room, see if it was indeed a no show. If yes and we haven’t heard anything, email me (or Cindy on my weekend) and we’ll figure out what’s going on.
COMPLAINTS
If you have a guest complaint and the need for a manager response, email me (or Cindy on my weekend) with details about the complaint. We will get back to the guest within 48 hours.
PATIO FURNITURE
Does not come inside the lobby. It scratches the floor.
FRUIT
If there is a little blemish on a whole fruit, cut blemish out, wrap fruit in plastic, put back in fridge. We are throwing out fruit which doesn’t need to go.
Eggs?
If we have a full house please make sure that there is at least one egg per person 2 dozen eggs is not enough on a very full day we should have at least 4 dozen HB eggs
WHAT?
something very confusing happened today. I tried to deal with it the best I could but at this point am just waiting (its all I can do) Rez’s 1578407 & 1578427 (same person) were made and canceled for the wrong dates. The worst part about this is that… Although the woman did not stay with us this past Thursday, she is marked as checked-in/Out and her credit card was charged with no notes or indication that she was a no-show ????? While her reservation which should have been for Today was canceled on April 23rd, though she never called to cancel it. The possible solution is that there was absolutely no luggage left in the Lopez today (which was a stay-over) I had housekeeping clean it as if it were a check-out and called and left a message at the phone number on file, I am hoping to hear back from her so that we can possible give them the room.
SMOKE
I received a heads up about the aroma of some curious smoke from the salt spring. I needed to go down there to have the guest sign the invoice anyway,so I put an end to the problem while I was visiting.
Fun Fun Fun…
The guests in the Lopez and ….other rooms are totally having a blast here. They are really enjoying the patio and each other. love it.
ME ME ME
heads up: I injured my back (again). So I won’t be the mopping and deep cleaning queen this weekend. Would you help me out, Elena?
See you tomorrow:)
Kira called regarding our smoke detector’s She is sending a replacement . Seth told her we have someone who will install it. Lots of fun folks here and using the beautiful garden for good times until dinner.
WOW! What a crazy morning. The fire alarm has been going off all morning. The firefighters have been here 3 times. Each time it would go off, it would say “3rd story smokes” All is well though, we are in the process of fixing the problem. Talked with a tech from Guardian Security, we are going to clean out the alarm (Seth is on his way down here.)
BATHROOM SIGN
Elena, I love your yoga lady sign in the bathroom, you are so talented making our cute little signs all over. Oh, and a big thank you for helping me silence the alarm this morning, yikes.
ORCAS GUESTS
They will be leaving on the redeye, I made them cute little bags of yogurt and eggs to take on the ferry with them, they are very grateful, they know to grab them out of the lobby refrigerator in the morning.
SPA GUY
He was here today and said all is well.
FOOD ORDERED
Hooray for me, I just placed my first food order! Wahoo! I wrote down everything that I ordered on the whiteboard in the kitchen. We are rockstars!
Hello, Pretty mellow evening. Very busy with the phones the first 3 hours..The folks from the Marrowstone were delighted and chose to have dinner at the Place. Lots of Happy Campers….
Hi all, I am making a new policy, you need to take out the bathroom garbage at the end of each shift, so if you are the am person, you take the bathroom garbage out before you leave and if you are the pm person you take the bathroom garbage out before you leave. This is a nice curtsy for the next person.
Thanks so much…
MARROWSTONE
Well I am now seriously thinking about quitting and starting up my own crime scene cleaning business. Just kidding. One of the guests in the Marrowstone had a bit of an accident. I am going to leave it all in an email so I don’t have to go into the gristly details here. Either way the folks in the Marrowstone are really nice so please be nice to them as well. The email explains why their rug is out on the back porch drying.
PATOS
The guest in the Patos didn’t want all the extra pillows and bathrobes to clutter up her small space. I put three pillows, two bathrobes, and the comforter from the Patos on the table just inside the housekeeping room on the second floor. She was also concerned that she couldn’t tun on the outdoor light by her porch door. The only light switch I am aware of is the one by the guest computer. I changed the light bulb but that didn’t do anything. The light outside the Skipjack was off as well. Anyone have any clue as to where you turn those other two lights on? Incidentally the light in the “emergency stairway” was off as well.
COOKIES
I have to agree with Carla. I am not too hot on this new cookie recipe. They come out flat and crumbly. Even after letting them cool completely they just fall apart. Why couldn’t we continue using Elena’s tried and true recipe. If it’s something she is proud of then personally I don’t think we should be giving the recipe out to guests. We could just coyly refer to it as a closely guarded house secret. I’ve told guests this in the past and they smile and take it in a good nature. Plus for some returning guests it’s like a special treat to look forward to. Their favorite cookie they just can’t get anywhere else. Just my two cents.
COOKIES
I know this is going to sound silly, but I am a little confused on the cookie recipe issue. Is the recipe on the refrigerator the one we are using now? It is different from the old one and it is hard to read at the bottom. The batch came out really creamy and not as thick, it is hard to get into balls. Why are we not using the regular recipe? Also, I cannot find the orange peel grater, so the batch I just made is without orange peel…..
Just one little thing. A guest left a tan fleece jacket in their room. I couldn’t find any Post San Juan forms while I was talking to her so I wrote it all down on a sticky note. We need to take it up to PSJ tomorrow.
….then the fire chief came, woke everybody up again, inspected all 3rd floor rooms and determined that it was indeed a false alarm….
….Nothing like a 6’5″ guy in uniform barking “did anybody smoke in here?” to enforce the non-smoking policy, wow.
CANCELLATION POLICY
I added “packages, adventures and massages you may have booked through us…” to the cancellation policy on our confirmation letter. And, as Elena said, please make sure to point out that add-ons have the same cancellation policy as the room reservation. I took care of the unhappy guests.
SCONE MIX
Will be here tomorrow. I got some from King’s to tied us over.
SHAW
MYSTERY SOLVED
they guests were sure they were booked for three nights. I moved and upgraded them to the Lopez at the same rate, since it was our mistake. Please repeat the dates back to the guests when making a reservation so that everyone is on the same page.
REZ # 1597244 & 1597245
LOTS-O-SNAFUS with these two reservations First they are upset that they were charged for the kayak tour they canceled last night, mostly because no one explained the cancellation SJO’s cancellation policy to them, and then they thought they were only staying two nights and were actually booked for 3, but they showed me a confirmation letter where they were originally booked for only 2 nights but our change log doesn’t show and date changes for this rez? In any case they said if we don’t refund them they are going to contest the charges with their credit card. Steffi can you call them, please?
MAX OCCUPANCY
REZ # 1696797 has 3 adults booked into the SHAW with “Rollaway” EEEEeeek. I know the note says they are okay with having three adults, but this is not the major issue the most important thing to remember is that we have maximum occupancy for fire code and becuase wear and tear is really increased when you are putting extra people into these rooms.
SCONE MIX
We are 100% OUT, should we do a grocery run for this?
BREAD
someone dropped off bread today but no invoice? was this supposed to be brought yesterday?
SHAW
Eeek it is 1:00 an no sign of these guests that were supposed to check-out today. I called then number on file and left a message. Please let people know at check-in that check-out is at 11:00 (Bainbridge was also out and didn’t come back until 12:45 to check-out)
PRINTER
For now there is an option call A-Print that you can select when printing so that it will use the color cartridge. Use this until we can get more black ink.
POLICIES (NOT ONLY OURS)
Please remember to communicate to our guests not only our cancellation policies but those of kayak, whale watch charters and the spa. Otherwise we end up with unhappy guests like today.
PRINTER
You guys, we are completely out of ink. It’s the weekend, no way to get any. I need you to be my eyes and ears during the week. What you don’t blog or email, I don’t know. Please end each shift with WSNTK (what Steffi needs to know).
ADVERTISEMENT
We don’t display advertisement in the lobby or the front desk counter. We keep some information behind the front desk upon request. Please let advertisers know when they bring in flyers.
MONDAY
Sadie, will you please peel away on Monday before the post office closes and mail the yellow big envelope on the back desk. It’s time sensitive. Thank you.
Morgan, I wanted you to play pay per view, but we are sold out. When you come in and have room which isn’t occupied yet, please go ahead and order a movie. Email Laura, Cindy and I what happened. Thank you.
WEDNESDAY
Elena, will you please get a check from Cindy and pick up shower gel from the food co-op. The order should be in around 1. Thank you.
THURSDAY
Carla, please call me at EB around 1 and we put together an order for Tom (needs to happen before 2).
Please continue to use the daily lists. Thanks for your hard work.
COOKIES
Yes, I made that note. WHY? (response to my note) Because it is not the original recipe we used to use, I have tweaked, and changed it over the years little by little and I have a lot of pride in this being my little secret, I posted the original recipe which you are welcome to give out, but Please don’t give out mine. Sorry if this sounds greedy, just a little pride of ownership I guess. Thanks
Hello, Sadie will work for me on Monday I will be here at 1:00 until 3:30, Thanks Sadie. Pretty swell evening all in all. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Debb
Cookie recipe, is this not to be given out when the guest ask for the recipe, I just noticed a note on the fridge I had made some copies.Just checking.I am still hoping someone can cover for me Monday morning. Good Night all.
Hi guys , We have a gal Donna who is staying in Saltspring on her 25th wedding anniversary.Her girlfriend died while she was here she is very sad and to boot she lost a favorite earring.Silver square and 1/2 inch tall.I went through the vacuume no cigars…If anyone finds it that would be awesome.
Bruce came by earlier and put in the new part to our dishwasher.It is working just fine.Ok enough for now.
Debbie
ADA BATH TUB CHAIR
I also ordered an ADA plastic chair to put in a bath tub. We have a guest staying with us in the Bainbridge in late August, she will need it. Please blog when it comes, so I have Seth assemble it.
Good Evening, Need someone to trade a shift on Monday the 20th I am scheduled at Windermere 8:30 – 1:00. Thanks. Cleaning like a crazy woman, we will need more scone mix . Left a message for more coffee.Beautiful evening and great tunes.Aloha
Good afternoon Bird Rockers! Just a couple of things to note….
VOUCHERS
I have searched this computer high and low, and cannot find any Bird Rock Vouchers to print more for our binder. We are low on Western Prince, and San Juan Outfitters…
SAN JUAN OUTFITTERS
Brian from SJO called today. We had a guest cancel at the last minute. He was ok with it, but he does normally need 48 hours notice or he will charge the hotel. Good for us all to know to let guests know.
#532614022035
Guest had to cancel at the last minute. I explained that he could get charged if we did not fill the room. If we have to charge him, just call and let him know.
On a lighter note…..I love this hotel, I love the rooms, the colors, the art, the atmosphere! The Bird Rock “rocks!”
Yes, thank you Carla, for staying the Bird Rocking queen until 4. Myah, I think we mis-communicated, not biggy, we’ll do better next time. Thanks for showing up the night before your finals (good luck, we know you will do great).
Carla,
down at BRrrrr you don’t have to take credit cards from folks when they check out bikes, because we are right there, seeing them when they come back and all. Just to let you know.
Peace out!
Dearest, Carla, Morgan and Steffi,(anyone I missed)
Thanks sooo sosoosososososoo much for covering me today, I didn’t know I was on the schedule.
You are so understanding and I owe you the favor.
After all that, it’s totally quiet now.
Figures.
I’m gonna go make cookie dough.
Myah
Today has been a very, busy, busy, busy, busy day…whew!
DISHWASHER
All is working A-OK, no leaks and sparkling clean dishes! Wahoo!
IPOD
Thanks again to Morgan who has officially saved my day, he fixed the frozen Ipod, and I now have music back in the lobby. I was going insane with all the silence. In the future, here is the trick. You lay the Ipod down flat, make sure the hold button is on, use two pens to hold down the middle button and the menu button at the same time until the screen turns black, it will reboot itself.
FOOD
Went to Kings today and bought some eggs and bread to get us through until Wednesday.
JETTED TUBS
What I did learn from Seth today is that our jetted tubs have a cleaning cycle after someone uses it. It will make noises about 15 minutes after someone uses it. I guess that we have a sign posted in the rooms, but I never noticed it.
DISHWASHER
Makes dishes sparkling clean, but leaked a little today. Will you all keep an eye on that and blog if it happens again, please?
INVOICES
For some reason we can’t print invoices from WRP. When you click on the PDF nothing happens. WRP works fine otherwise, other things print just fine. Mhm. I wrote tech support from our front desk email. Please let me know what they say.
SHAW
Is so hot. I tried a new trick (well, it ain’t that new, really): box fan in window. Will you ask the guests if that helped a little?
COOKIE DOUGH
We’ll need some tomorrow. Carla, Myah, who will do us the honors?
We are also low on toast and may need some more eggs. Don’t forget to pull the jam out of the freezer before we run out (needs a day at least to defrost).
OUR FABULOUS GUESTS
Two of our guests went to the Duck Soup in tonight for dinner ON OUR BEACH CRUISERS!! I was so impressed. They say it was hard, but worth it. Yeah, guests!
FOOD
Please use the small yogurts in the big fridge first, then the bigger yogurts in the small fridge(that’s like a poem, isn’t it?).
Also, please use the granola in the white bucket under the cuisine art first, before opening new bags.
Got a thermometer for the lobby fridge.
FAXES
We get faxes from travel agents asking for their commission payments. I need to reconcile those. I find them all over the place, in the garbage, under the luggage room shelf, laying on top of the printer. Please put those in my box. Thank you!
SHAW 8/25/09
There is an email in our in-box from a guest who canceled (done), asking for a confirmation for her friend for the Shaw on 8/25. There is no reservation for the friend. I left a message with the canceled guest. Just to let you know.
What a day. So warm and wonderful and a house full of happy guests, yeah!
Oh, check out Trip Advisor, we got 3 new ones in July, all fabulous. Bird Rocking staff, you rock! Thank you so much.
CANCELLATION
1583690 canceled a four night stay he will be coming to the island but broke up with GF and will now stay with his sister on the island, I told him any portion we could re-rent he wouldn’t be responsible for, please call him if we do or don’t re-rent the room and charge accordingly.
It’s been a busy, busy day. Always something to do. Steffi, I talked to Linda Turner on the phone today about her interest in booking 6 different rooms in August. She was wanting to talk about her options and possible discounts for booking several rooms. I suggested she speak with you, since I wasn’t able to answer some of her questions. Would you please give her a call when you have a chance? She can be reached at 505.988.2131 Thank you!
YEAH SADIE!
Sadie rocked the house today. Everything was so sparkling clean, filled, scrubbed, prepared. We got inspected by the Health Department and we got, oh yes, 100%. Thank you so much. You made my day.
HEALTH INSPECTION
Everybody please check if their food handler’s card is expired or expiring soon.
The inspector suggested to serve melons on ice in the morning, since they can go bad fast.
We need a thermometer for the lobby fridge. I’ll buy that over the weekend. And that’s all.
SCHEDULE
I’m sorry, guys. That was supposed to go up on Monday. If it’s still not here tomorrow, please call me at EB and I bring one down.
MATIA
Was a Unirez and the guests didn’t expect the shared bath. Sadie, will you send the housekeepers up to tidy, the guests weren’t in there long. I upgraded them.
SAN JUAN BALCONY FLOWERS
Sadie, can you please let the house keepers know to water the flowers on the San Juan balcony regularly. Our gardener came by today and said they look thirsty.
MYAH
There is an envelope for you on the front desk:)
HOUSE
Guys, I need a place to live. Will you keep your eyes and ears open for me, please? We (as if you didn’t know) have a dog and are looking for something small and old outside of town.
Thanks Earth Box for your help in Splitting the bill on the Bainbridge. Really I am getting it. slowly…No split folio’s….Nice evening all in all. Only 2 rooms left to sell tonight.Have a good one and see you all next week.
All is well here on this rainy day!
DISHWASHER
Morgan, you are a rockstar! Thanks for all the info on the dishwasher. The place looked great this morning even though you had that pounding migraine! I tried using 3/4 of the soap when running the morning dishes. All came out sparkling clean, I think we should try 1/2 the soap next time.
SCHEDULE
Can we get a new schedule down here for the next two weeks, thanks!
DISHWASHER
Bruce came in a took a look at the dishwasher. The inlet for the water pump was clogged with all sorts of detritus. Lots of toothpicks, paper, egg shells, broken glass, and other gunk. The blade that was supposed to chop all this stuff up was broken. Probably the glass snapped it. He said that while we don’t need to pre-wash the dishes before we put them in, we do need to try and scrape off as much of the big stuff as possible. If we want he thinks we should pick-up a bottle of “Dishwasher Magic” from the store and run it with it in. It’ll dissolve some of the mineral build-up we have. Along those lines he also mentioned that since town water is so “soft” we probably only need to be using half a measure of soap in the dispensers. Bruce will order us a new blade, he says it should be pretty cheap. I put a very small load in to test but it will be done after I close. Carla could you assess the cleanliness of the dishes to determine it’s all good? Thanks.
SAN JUAN
The TV in the San Juan all of a sudden stopped outputting sound and the screen took on a seriously purple tint. Thanks to help from Elena, pressing the reset button on the receiver fixed everything. Gotta love the magic little red button.
ETC
-I have a had gnarly migraine that started a few hours ago. I took meds and drank water. However, I also downed some caffeine to see if it would help. In that regard, whomever left an unopened Diet Coke on the kitchen counter, I owe you a replacement. Just let me know.
-Sorry I didn’t make any cookie dough. We have enough to get us through a day or two but it needs to be made.
PS. I am blaming that gods-awful stargazer lilly for my migraine.
San Juan and Spiden have regular coffee makers in them.
The dishwasher is still a topic of conversation, but has not been repaired as far as I know.
rain, rain, welcome rain!
Monday evening, Guest arrived for the Matia had requested twins beds but it wasn’t made up. Called Raquel she came in Thank goodness.We also need remote switch for the fan & light over the computer.Pretty Chilly one gal even had her fireplace turned on. thanks Raquel’s husband for getting it turned on.
SHAW
Needs to be cleaned, please let HK know. Guest was so hot, she really wanted to move.
SALTSPRING
Please all read #1648820. The Saltspring is like a studio apartment, no separate bedroom. Please make sure to make that very clear when renting to more than a 2 adults or folks with kids.
LABELER
Found.
HOT PLATE
Found the second one. Debbie, please try to cook eggs with the old one first. If it doesn’t heat up for you either, use the new one and throw the old one out. Thank you.
DISHWASHER
Ohhhh boy. I did dishes by hand today. Seemed to take less time than washing them, putting them in the dishwasher and then washing them again. If you decide to do this, don’t forget to sanitize: fill buss tub with cold water and a cap of bleach. Put washed dishes in there before you let them air dry. Cindy wrote that a new dishwasher is on the way. Yeah! Thank you.
CHECK OUTS
Please don’t forget to check folks out in WRP.
AAA DISCOUNT
Just a reminder, we do not have AAA discounts here at BR.
SADIE – FOOD ORDER – THURSDAY
Sadie, please order food from Tom on Thursday before 2. I started you a list on the white board. Just do like we did last week. Call me at home if you have questions. Thank you.
MORGAN
Debbie will be here at 2PM tomorrow, so you can do a decent shift change and be on time for our fabulous, long awaited, exciting EB front desk staff meeting.
Have a great week everybody and thank you so much for your fabulous work over this busy holiday.
ORCAS TUB
Guest says bubbles don’t come on. Elena, can you check at check-out, please? We have another check in tomorrow. Wrote maintenance slip just in case.
HOTPLATE
Seems to be on the fritz. I was able to boil enough eggs for tomorrow. Elena, can you ask your mom where the second hotplate is, please? Laura bought two way back when.
GUARD SUNDSTROM SAVED THE DAY
So today the bees left by the garbage can started to hive again and became really aggressive. It freaked people out. I called the sheriff again and he made it very clear that today was not the day he is going to be dealing with bees. Not knowing what to do I left a message with Guard. He is a beekeeper and sheep farmer, you all know him from the framer’s market. Last week I was out at his farm to watch the slaughter and he showed me a renegade bee hive of his own. I left a message not expecting to hear from him. 10 minutes later he was here to assess the situation. He said since the queen was gone those poor bee boys remaining will die, no other hive will take them in. They were freaked out. It hurt both of our hearts to kill honey bees, but it was their destiny at this point. He killed most of them with a magazine. The rest of them are disbursing. This is sad, but the hive is safe, the queen lives. Thank you, Guard!
DISHWASHER
is going. Hang in there. I’ll email Cindy and Laura for advice.
LIGHTS
Make sure when you do your nightly walk through that all the stairwell lights remain on, so nobody stumbles in the dark.
OPENING/CLOSING CHECK LISTS
This worked well. Let’s continue doing this. I printed out some more forms (in my box).
The bees have either gone to sleep or gone to Herb’s.
# 9 bike has a bad back axle.
Parking, will they enforce the law on the 4th? Curious guests want to know.
Stemware is looking a little cloudy, the dish washer is not good at getting orange juice of glass.I buffed some with a paper towel and they shined up like a new penny.
BEES
We had a lost bee hive in the tree outside BR. The sheriff, firefighters and a beekeeper came and moved the majority away. The area is taped off and lot’s of bees are remaining in and around the garbage can.I called the sheriff, he says there is not much he can do since nobody from the town will be around this weekend. So, inform our guests. If somebody is scared or allergic and concerned, offer them to move to EB, we have 1 room left for tomorrow (Earth).
ADD-ONS
Hey wonderful ones. See #1698002. When booking an add-on, please write all pertinent info in the guest remark section (under “edit”), don’t use the alarm for that info. Use only the subject line in alarm to alert us if something needs to be done. All other info goes in the guest remark section.
Thank you. Have a great 4th of July weekend. Call me if you need me.
We are completely booked for the 4th of July weekend. Been referring to Earthbox a lot. Nice weather great for our parade and The University of Washington band will be here.
Not much to report. Lots of folks here who are changing rooms tomorrow or the next. Looks like the back room will be nice and full of luggage.
I fixed the iPod. We haz muzik.
Food order came in a day early. Using my massive and sturdy spacial awareness skills I managed to find a good place for everything. The new yogurt is in the little fridge. As per Elena-oujo-chan’s warning I turned up the thermostat a bit so you won’t have frozen yogurt in the morning. I cleaned out the big freezer so you have a lot more space in there now for whatever. Stock has been rotated in the fridge so the newer stuff is in the back. New grapes are in the drawer and the older ones are on the door.
Hopefully everything is right. Have a good one all!
Thanks Steffi for facilitating and adding to our meeting.Thanks Elena for raising the bar so high, I agree, it was a positive mingling of the minds and if you guys are doing another one, with or with out bloody marys, I want to come too.
On another note, the espresso maker in the SJS is leaking water.The guest was in the Cypress last night and liked the espresso maker, so I may do some switching around tomorrow. I’ll leave a note.
I got two cans out to the curb for pick up Tue. but the others are too heavy to drag, need some muscle down here or another person.
I am having trouble with the music here, is the i-pod on the blink?
MEETING(S)(SES)
Thank you Bird Rocking Goddesses for the meetings today. I found them productive and honest and I love you all. Deb, Elena & I will have a make up meeting soon (shall we do Gin & Tonic or Bloody Mary’s?).
FOOD
Starting this week I would like the Thursday morning person (Sadie this week) to order food for the weekend (needs to be done before 2). Sadie, give me a call at EB around 1 and we’ll determine together what we’ll need. I will make a ordering list next weekend and soon we all will get a feel for what we’ll need.
Thanks Elena for training me this morning. Breakfast was fun, it was even better because you are a professional baker like Martha Stewart! Hee! Hee! Can’t wait to go to the co-op on Wednesday!
ELENA – WEDNESDAY – SHAMPOO
Elena, will you and Carla go over to the food co-op on Wednesday, 7/1 at 1:30 and pick up 4 gallons of shampoo. Bring exact cash. The total is $89.72. Muchas Gracias.
#1516403
I have a call in to her, regarding which of her 2 reservations is correct. We need to follow up on that.
HOTELS.COM
There are no, zero reviews of us on that website, also none under the old name. The guest must have been mistaken.
THE BRITISH
are all here. I don’t think there is anybody left in England. I love love love the accent. Keep talking to me, lovely guests!
Also: didn’t find the debit card one of our British guests is missing.
RACK CARDS/ RATE SHEETS
Made new rate sheets, can’t find any rack cards. Maybe we are out?
Delightful day here on the rock. Sold out solid over 4th of July weekend as of tonight, yeah!
Cooling off big time, So I feel like a real nummy nut getting locked out the back, might be a good idea to leave back door unlock during business hours.Thanks for rescuing me Morgan.Been a steady busy evening one room left for the taking. Aloha
VOUCHER FOLDER
Had some minor work done, seems it was not happy with all the “sagging” and “tearing”… it was feeling old and outdated, basically it had let itself go a little. seriously though I printed some more vouchers, changed the vouchers from Friday Harbor house to The Bluff and added a file for it with log, all sorts of good things. Now she feels like new! Check her out!
PLUS FOUR FOR BREAKFAST
we had another confusion through a unirez booking where a guest was able to book four into the Skipjack. Laura offered to still have them for breakfast here so count on an extra four for breakfast.
BABY REFRIGERATOR
some OJ exploded in there, its all cleaned up now but I did turn it down (colder). ideally the OJ and Lemonade should be frozen otherwise it won’t keep as long.
THE FOURTH OF JULY
I made a sign that we an post up for the day before and of the 4th with all the major activities of the day, it is in my box ready to go!
MMMM COOKIE DOUGH!!!
I made some more last night, we go through it so fast. I just left the balls to freeze overnight. Please bag it in the AM if you have time.
THANKS DEBBIE
Thanks for all the great notes today at shift change!
Good Morning, We will need a crib for Sunday July 6th ,Not sure if we have them here. Lots to do this morning and looking forward to wonderful sunny day.
SCHEDULE
I had to change the schedule a little. Morgan will bring it down tomorrow. Please all have a look, I switched some shifts, but no days around.
THE LISTS
Thank you, Bird Rocking Goddesses for indulging me in my list behavior. I appreciate it.
RESERVATIONS ABC, 123
Please remember that no reservation should be confirmed without the 10% being charged first. I found a few reservations that had been confirmed and never charged the 10%.
Top of the morning, On King 5 news last eve they mentioned we are losing one of our large boats for 1 week . Thought everyone might want to have a heads up .
THE LISTS
It’s getting busier, almost no difference between weekdays and weekends anymore. It can be a bit much at times to remember everything. So here is what we will do:
I created a check list (off Elena’s excellent side duties list) and for the next 2 weeks I would like us all to sign, date and check the list each shift (there is a morning and a night shift check list). Please put the signed, dated lists in the safe for me to review each week. The lists are in my box. Please go over them, ask questions.
But wait, you say that’s not enough? There is more. I also created a deep cleaning schedule, oh yeah, Baby! It’s on the kitchen fridge and assigns a deep cleaning task to each shift each week. If we stick to it, everything will be spanking clean and none of the tasks will take up too much time. Let me know if you think I forgot an important task or I’m totally utterly unfair to certain shifts.
SHIFT CHANGE
Every shift change I would like us all to take a moment, go over our check lists, deep cleaning lists, communicate about reservations, things the next person needs to know. Each discussion shall end with: “Steffi is the best manager ever” (I will check on that, don’t make me create another list). No kidding aside, shift change communication is important. Please don’t just run away as soon as your co-worker gets here.
MORE LISTS
Last night a heinous crime was committed on Cady Mountain. Between 5AM and 9AM a deer ate all my kale, most of my peas and one of my potatoes. Not a peep out of Mr. Esspike. So I created a list for him as well, which he needs to check and initial every day or there will be a kibble crisis soon:
1) sleep (between 18 and 20 hours)
2) eat (twice per day)
3) pee (600 time per day)
4) get ball (once or twice per day)
5) CHASE DEER OUT OF YARD WHENEVER THEY EAT MY GARDEN
FERRY SCHEDULE
Will change tomorrow. There was not a single new ferry schedule to be had down at the terminal. I printed out a couple in convenient 4 point type. Make sure our lovely guests know.
COOKIE DOUGH
Elena, I didn’t get to that. If you have time, will you start it for me? If not, will you put a butter on the counter, so I can get to it right away? Thank you.
Hi Bird ROCKERS..
The computer in the back room is going to be moved to EB Housekeeping office. Chris Teren will be doing this, he may already have, please let me know if it is missing:)
Happy Thursday.. Keep your smiles..
What Elena said. Remember, this is our guests’ cherished vacation time. When they book something with us, they are counting on it and we simply cannot fail them in this. Please, please, please, take care of our guests the way that you would want to be taken care of on your vacation.
THE BALL…DON’T DROP IT
Its really important that we don’t drop the ball this time of year. Please be sure and communicate things like where a broken espresso machine is from, if its been replaced and, and what exactly is wrong with it.
Also be sure and open the e-mail. When I got in it hadn’t been checked all day and there were tons of things that needed following up on. Remember the call center communicates with us through e-mail.
There was also a message on the answering machine that hadn’t bee taken care of from early in the day.
When processing online reservations it is really important to follow up on adventure and massage requests, the folks that checked into the Lopez today had requested both and nothing had been done, I was luckily able to book everything today.
ORDER OF OPERATIONS
When you are following up on a kayak or massage request please do not make vouchers until everything is done, an alarm from today already had a massage voucher made for something that was not confirmed with the guest. Please remember that commissions go to the person that books everything regardless of who makes the voucher.
Spa voucher on the front desk is for the gentleman in the Saltspring his wife may also want to book something.
RATES
Remember when you are “copying” a reservation to double check rates are correct. I almost charged someone $217 for the Sucia, because this was not done.
That’s all for now, Have a great morning
LABEL MAKER
We need tape refills for the label maker
KEY CHECK-IN/ OUT
I realized that editing and writing in the number of keys is a hassle with Web Rez Pro so I made a laminated key check out that we can use a dry erase pen on. Lets use this from now on.
COMPUTER IN BACK ROOM
The screen doesn’t turn on. Cindy, can you let Chris know, please? Maybe he can play his techie magic on it.
KEYS
I don’t have time to remake the front door keys this week. Bring them up to Earthbox when Morgan works, he can fix those. Thanks.
PAY PER VIEW
We are still trying to get the kinks out of the system (as in: getting Direct TV to rent us a movie once successfully). So, the service isn’t quite available yet. Once it is, all the info you’ll need to rent a movie is in our log book. Let me show you the next time we work together.
PATOS
Patos guests have signed beach cruiser release forms already. Not necessary again if they want to ride tomorrow.
MATIA
Has large bags with golf clubs and a carton full of glassware in our luggage room, no luggage tag.
THE BLUFF
The new restaurant in the Friday Harbor House opens tomorrow. Check it out, it’s a real nice place with a gorgeous view, local, organic, sustainably grown food, not too spendy. They will be open from 7AM to 11PM daily.
I was in the kitchen mopping the floor and a guest came in when I greeted her she announced we had a guy picking flowers in our garden and he ran down the street, Look out for white male in his 50′s with brown bag possibly at Herbs.
Wow unbelievable, the Friday Harbor House has reopened its called the Bluff and its smashing, It will be a hit, prices are reasonable and exciting.Even has Cheviche….The Manager is Mike he is eager to meet everyone.We needed something like this .
What a lovely surprise I had seeing Sweet Laura and the adorable Mia-Tortilla for a little breakfast here at the Bird Rock. The scones were hot and just out of the oven. Mia is such a grown up girley now, much bigger than when she was my little preschool student. I hope to see them again, maybe next time I will see Miss Zoe too!
Bird Rock-On!
Myah
Herbs is a bit noisy tonight the folks in Lopez aren’t too happy. I will call in the a.m. to see if we can move them up to the quieter side of town.Good night..
So would anyone like to help me with a huge favor by either working/switching my morning shift at BRock this Saturday morning?? I would really appreciate it and would be happy to work a shift in return! Thank you! My cellphone number 378.7554
POST SAN JUAN
Sadie, will you please go (or ride a bike?) to Post San Juan on Monday and send our guest his cell phone charger? Charger & form all filled out on front desk, just needs to be dropped off.
CHANGING RESERVATION DATES & ROOM STYLES
When moving a guest to a different room style or date, please hit the “recalculate” button, so we charge the guest the correct amount.
FIDALGO TV
Still out of order. Seth will come by tomorrow.
BIKE KEY
Came home to me and is now asleep in the safe.
NEW ESPRESSO INSTRUCTIONS
Are in almost all rooms.
Have a great beginning of the week, everybody. Enjoy the sunshine.
WOW 27 MILES!!!
The Marathoners are incredible, we set up the bathrooms with nice rolled towels for them and some of the Judith J. bar soaps along with a little sign asking them to take just one towel. Then when they got back they looked to exhausted I put out some Iced Tea.
REZ # 1649106 Still not out at 1:30pm. There is a note on file that they might want to pay more to stay after noon but I’m not sure what to charge them. Housekeeping may not be here when they get back so we might have to block it out for today.
KITCHEN FLOOR
Was so spanking clean when I got to work today, that I just poured my rice on there, laid down and ate off the floor. Wow. Thanks, Elena!
MARATHON PARTICIPANTS
I said to several marathon participants that they are welcome to take showers in the common bathrooms after the run. 26 miles, makes my legs cramp up just to think about it. Respect!
COOKIE ZIP LOCKS
Let’s re-use the zip locks we use for our frozen cookie balls. When empty, just leave empty in freezer and fill back up the next time we make a batch of cookies. No need to throw more barely used plastic into our landfill than necessary.
BEACH CRUISER BIKE KEY
Donde estas? Can’t find it. Please make sure all the keys are in the place they should be (safe key in safe key place, all others in first drawer of safe). It’s so difficult to start looking for a key in front of waiting guests.
KEYS
I had Morgan make new front door keys for the Lopez and have some spares in the first drawer of the safe (sic).
FIDALGO FRONT ROOM TV
Is giving me problems. Seth will stop by in a bit and have a look (go Seth!)
WRP DOUBLE CHARGES
Please pay extra special attention when processing reservations or checking guests in. I looked over 3 reservations processed today and they all had been double charged. I fixed them. I know it’s easy to do, especially with the WRP update and all, but we can’t do that.
BELLINGHAM FERRY
Debbie and I did some sleuthing and found out that the Bellingham ferry departs at 9:30am on weekends and starting June 12th they will run trips daily.
SCHEDULE
the new schedule is up. A couple of things: please remember once the schedule is up it is your responsibility to find somebody to work for you if you can’t work a shift (unless you get sick).
WESTERN PRINCE
This is true for all adventure providers: we don’t give any AAA or AARP discounts when booking an adventure. If a guest makes a reservation directly with the provider they have that option, but not through us. One of us o.k.ed a AAA discount with WP and now we have to “eat” the difference (Earthbox #1581944). So please don’t do this.
Also: Western Prince now has 2 boats, the small zippy Zodiac and the big Western Prince. They have different prices. WP – $75 per adult, Zodiac – $89 per adult. So, when booking people on the zodiac, you need to let them know that it’s more expensive aand…that’s right, charge them the correct amount. Please pay attention to this. Otherwise we will have to pay for that as well.
Also: Ivan, the Western Prince dude, really wants to take us out on the zodiac for free. If you want to go, call him. Or we can go out as a group. Who is with me?
One more thing, when you process a payment, under the 2nd option called “TRANSACTION STATUS” section you need to make sure you select process payment, otherwise the payment will not take, after you select that, under the 3rd option “GUEST STATUS” you will need to select process payment again, you will know if you did not select it right under section 2 because 1. when you hit process payment (under section 3)it will take you to a screen that only has an arrow and no detail of the payment 2.a payment will not show on the guests main screen. Please ask me if you have any questions…
Happy Friday…
Shaw
Seth will be coming down to check on the floor heat in the Shaw.
Thank you Elena for your blog about being a super cleaner.. We should all have Mr. Clean stickers:) As with the post it addiction (which I have) we could all be cleaning addicts..
Paychecks
They are up at Earthbox, by the time cards.
A/C
Remember to tell every person calling from now until September, that we do not have A/C in the rooms, this will prevent guests from assuming we have AC and then arrive and find out we do not, leaving us open to refunding $$$..
It is a busy weekend, LOTS going on… Enjoy the guests, get some sunshine, and put on a happy face:) (which you all do anyway)
The new espresso makers are in and Olga and the girls set them up in the rooms. Thank you for the reminders about Bird Rock aesthetics. I will try to woo you with amazing cleaning tricks. Today I cleaned the little feet of all the chairs, yes I did…you know that is a “woo”.
It is so gorgeous outside with all the flowers and sun shine.
Have a great weekend all,
Myah
Thanks, Elena, for staying on the ball about cleanliness.
On a similar but different note: please don’t have your friends hang out on the lobby during your shifts. It is fine to take a 10 min break with somebody off property every once in a while, but please don’t have visitors. It looks bad and it distracts from our work. Thank you.
DIRTY SHAW
I moved the Shaw to the Cypress last night because their room was just too hot and wouldn’t cool down despite messing with the heat. Please let housekeeping know in the morning, since it won’t show up on the HK report.
CLEANLINESS
SORRY TO BE REPETITIVE but it IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I dusted the front desk area today and did a little re-organizing, please make sure that the desk is as clear as possible during your shift otherwise it can reflect really badly on us if it looks like a bomb went off on the desk, and if you have a minute it would be great if we could dust at least once a week.
Please also be sure and give the hot water and coffee carafes a good wipe down before you put them out and after breakfast, they get spotty really easily.
THE KITCHEN is also another area that it is really important to keep clean even through breakfast when it feels like there are a million things to do. We have never had any bad citations from the health department, lets keep up our good record.
FOLLOW THROUGH
when you make a call to any charter or restaurant please be sure and leave a reservation number rather than a name, it is easier to track in the system, also be sure and make a note in the blog that you are waiting for a call back, otherwise it can be confusing to know which of the 5 “SMITHS” needed dinner reservations.
EGG CRATES
They pile up quickly and we don’t really need to keep as many as we have piled to the ceiling of the kitchen, please open them, stack them and then recycle, keeping only as many as we need.
WIRELESS PASSWORD CARDS
I printed out some new little cards to hand out to guests that want the wifi password, they are one the desk.
WHEWWW!!! I’ll give my fingers a rest now. And please know that I am only being seemingly nit picky because (it’s in my nature, sad but true) but also because I realize we have a lot of new people and there is some stuff you just aren’t aware of yet, and I want to make sure we are all on the same page, so we can have a happy and smooth summer.
Good morning, We have some guests that just checked out and will be on a 3 day kayak trip, we have their luggage here that needs to come to the Earth box for the rest of their stay.Someone w/ a car as the luggage is huge.Thank you.
The espresso maker went belly-up in the SJS so I swapped it for the one in the Spiden.
Walkie-talkies sound like fun to me, can’t wait. Everyone is tucked soundly into their beddies for the night and I am closing the front door. It’s my first late shift and I found it as much fun as the early shift.
Shhhhhh, the green apples are sleeping on the coffee table here and they look so peaceful we don’t want to disturb them.
Seems like our dish washer is not doing a very good job, the dish powder is in the bottom of the dishwasher, not disappearing..I need Seth tomorrow.
thanks and good night.
Hey my Bird Rocking Goddesses!
Que paso? Nothing to blog about at all?
WALKIE TALKIE’S
Raquel would like us to use the walkie talkie’s (spelling?) as a tool to see if a room is ready. They are on our back desk. Give one to Olga in the morning, keep one at the desk, call Olga to see if a room is ready, so we don’t have to run up and down the stairs while our guests are waiting.
FOOD
Ordered lot’s of food for Wednesday, see white board.
ESPRESSO MAKERS
Sadie & Myah, did you get around to laminating the new espresso instructions? Where did you put them? In the next couple of days we will get a shipment of 5 repaired espresso makers via FedEx. Please blog when that happens.
PAY PER VIEW
We would like to offer pay per view to our guests, something which is potentially possible with Direct TV. However, whenever we try to order a movie for one of our guests it doesn’t work out. Morgan and I will make a “play to rent pay per view movies” date soon and then we’ll go from there. Until then, if a guest inquires, please let them know that right now we aren’t set up for that service.
Nice Evening @ The Bird, I was wondering if we could get some plants for the spiedens’s planter box some grasses and a splash of color would be great.The courtyard is beautiful.Thanks Debbie
Myah and I talked about the thermos problem. I will bring down a thermos from Earthbox. And Myah is going to write a note for Gerard to see if he can order a replacement gasket.
Morning Myah!
Our guests in the San Juan will move to the Saltspring on Friday. Please help them with their luggage. They just need keys, room is ready, all paid.
Oh, and thanks for cleaning the lobby so well (aligning the wine glasses with a ruler, that is what I call “above & beyond”, yeah!)
FOOD
I didn’t order food for Saturday. We have lot’s. Next order will be Wednesday. If we run out, go get it from the store, please.
VINNY’S RISTORANTE
is now one of our restaurant choices for our dining vouchers. Elena, will you please design us a Vinny’s voucher & a Maya’s Charters voucher the next time you are here?
It’s going to be new girl weekend at Bird Rock. Elena and I are working at Earthbox, she in the morning, I at night. Call us if you need help with anything. We can walk you through anything…
CHAMPAGNE
We have brand new beautiful Nicholas Fuiellate champagne in 1/4 bottle sizes. Please do not use these quite yet, but DO take a look they are in the back room
I’m going a little crazy with the bleach today, cleaning surfaces door knobs and computer keyboards. Want to keep us all healthy.
I never did say thank you to Elena, the breakfast goddess for showing me the beautiful way to serve breakfast, so thank you Elena.
I agree with Sadie about liking to work here at the BR. There is never a dull moment. Thanks for all your patience in getting us new gals trained.
peace-out,myah
Hi my name is myah and I am addicted to sticky-notes.
It has been 4 days since my last “peel-off”.
I can see how this has hurt me and the people I love. With the help of the great SPIRAL NOTEBOOK, I know I can overcome my addiction.
peace-out,myah
VOUCHER FOLDER
I made us a new voucher folder. Have a look. It’s pretty, updated and informative.
Elena, if you have time tomorrow, could you design us a Maya’s Charters voucher, please? We ain’t got one. Also: where on the computer is the cool channel line up for our guest’s TV’s you made? I think we should print some out and laminate them. So we can hand them to guests upon request.
KEYS
What Elena said. When checking in guests, write in comment section how many keys you gave them and initial. When they check out, write how many keys you got back and initial. I added on the guest invoice: “A $50 fee will be applied for each key not returned at checkout”.
PHONE MESSAGES
Please erase phone messages after you have processed them. Today I had 9 messages, not knowing from which day or if the guests had been called.
POST ITS
I said it before and I say it again: post its seem like they are your friend, but they aren’t. They fly away, they don’t make sense, the person working after you doesn’t know if they can throw them away or if they are important. Manage the post its before they manage us. Ahhhh, ahhh, invasion of the KILLER POST ITS. No, seriously, get yourself a ring book and write your lists in it. We pay for it. Pretty please.
CHECKING OUT GUESTS
Please don’t forget to check out guests around noon. In WRP if you check a guest into a room when the previous guest is still checked in, you can’t write notes into the comment section of the new guest.
Thanks for all your hard work. We mainly use the blog to point out what didn’t go right, but there are all those things which do. So thank you for making our guests happy and going out of your way to make somebody’s day. Uh, I rhymed:)
LOST AND FOUND
Please have Olga look for a pair of brown flats that were left behind by a guest last week in the Bainbridge, Her phone number is on a sticky note on the desk. Please contact her if we find the shoes or not- Thanks
KEYS
Please note in peoples res’s how many keys we give out, so we can make sure we are getting them back at check-out. It stinks having to make so many keys.
I love working here… Everyone is so appreciative and happy! Makes working much more enjoyable. The phone has been quiet, but guests have been giving me a few things to do. Have a good morning, Elena!
Also the folks from the Patos moved rooms right before I closed so housekeeping will need to tidy that room tomorrow. They wanted their own bathroom at the last minute.
Guest #1614417 called and said they missed a flight so they wouldn’t make it tonight but would be here for tomorrow. I tried to resell their room but was ultimately unable. It’s your call if you want to charge them for the night or not. I left it as a charge on their room.
I prepped as much jam as I could. I made about 12 of them. We ran out and had to pull the spare out of the freezer. It was solid as a rock. Hopefully it will have thawed by morning if you need more. It seemed like several people will be leaving early so you might not have a full load for breakfast.
Hello everyone, I am on the road to recovery! IJust a few things to note:
The beach cruiser folder behind the desk is for blank forms, not to file after guest signs it, those can go into the “signed invoice” folder. I printed out some more forms and filed them in the right folder.
Myah, can you please mail off the small ink cartridge package on the back desk…it is going off to be recycled…go earth! The package that needs to go to Post San Juan is right next to it as well.
Steffi, thank you so much for saving me with the ink cartridge, you are a rockstar and the best manager ever!
Morning Myah!
Reservation #1491232 came late last night. Please make sure you charge them when you see them at breakfast.
Reservation # 1441726, see alarm
FOOD
More food on Saturday. Please buy fruit and eggs if we need them. Also: take the largest bill you can find when you go shopping, every time, so we have small bills when we need to make change.
COFFEE MAKER
Just so you all know, there is a spare regular coffee maker on the shelf above the bed, as well as coffee and filters. If you an espresso maker gives you grief, use that instead and blog about it.
The clock radio in the Spiden was replaced by the spare, which has an i-pod dock. The old radio is now the spare. Raquel wants to get a separate dock for it for the future.
CHANGE
Can we please keep enough change on hand in the cash box, we never seem to have any 1′s or 5′s for when guests pay in cash.
KEYS
We still don’t seem to have enough keys, can we please get at least three for each room and make sure that we are getting them back maybe start keeping track? It is a problem making keys at the last minute in front of guests.
FREEZER
There is something wrong with our freezer. The ice cube tray fills up with cubes, then they melt to one big ice block. Elena & I turned the ice cube maker off. It seems to keep temperature though. Any idea what that could be?
I-POD DOCKING RADIO
Our guests in the Speiden don’t have an i-pod docking radio (they have one with the nature noises). So I lent them our spare i-pod docking radio. They will be here for 3 days. Please make sure to put the spare back in it’s box and up on the shelf in the luggage room when they check out.
LUGGAGE RACK FROM BAINBRIDGE
I lent one of the luggage racks from the Bainbridge to our guests in the Orcas. They’ll also be here for 3 days.
FOOD
Ordered food for Wednesday (see white board). Please buy eggs and milk if we run out.
KEYS
Remade all the Bird Rock keys.
CELL PHONE
Guest cell phone picked up from Haley’s. Morgan will send it back tomorrow.
ISLAND MAPS
Got us some more island maps.
Thank you for training Sadie & Myah over the weekend, Elena.
Ahh, today was the first day our guests could comfortably sit in the courtyard and on the balconies. Some discovered that our strawberry lemonade goes very well with Grey Goose. Yumm.
Info on desk is for a woman who left her Cell phone at Hayleys during her stay and wants us to get it back, call us when we have it and then mail it to her.
SAN JUAN TRANSIT
Is almost up and running. Laminated schedule is in our box to the left of you. Hand out paper schedules are behind you in the second drawer. Please suggest taking the transit bus to guests who didn’t bring their car.
This warm weather is waking me up, and I want to play flower gardener on the patio here. I understand there is a gardener that takes care of all that, but I want to see some flowers, maybe I can run to Ace and fill the planters for the weekend. It is going to be gorgeous!!!
One of the bikes(#9) needs it’s handle bars tightened.
Wow what a Morning, The phone should be fixed. Centurytel believes the phone on the desk was off the hook because they could hear voices.Pretty mellow here now..
It works. Or at least, when it goes off, you can hear it. Right Debbie??
Today there was a false alarm and Guardian Securities is coming out tomorrow at 11 am to check it out. In the meantime, I have a repair call in to CenturyTel because there may be an issue with the phone line 378-0834 which is the secondary line that the alarm system uses. It is not ringing through and is busy. I can’t seem to track it down.
If any of you hear from Guardian or CenturyTel, please let me know.
Ohhh okay, I feel very silly about the fan lights heheh. Thank you, Steffi, I figured it out… Not much happening at Bird Rock today, it’s been extremely quiet. Where is the sunshine??
Hi Guys,
I just want to make a little personal plea to all you wonderful front-deskers to please not use your cell phones while at work unless on break. Also, please keep the phone on vibrate so as to not disturb our guests.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
LEARNING FROM THE BREAKFAST QUEEN
Hey Sadie, Debbie & Myah. I would like all three of you to work a busy breakfast with Elena (see above) once. Will you please check in with her and schedule that, if you see her before you see me? Please don’t double up on this. It’s hard to train and cook and reserve rooms all at once.
DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS
When filling the green apple display in the lobby, please take the little stickers off the apples.
When making cookie dough, please freeze the balls first on a tray before bagging them. Easier to get them out afterwards.
Oh, by the way, Sadie, those cookies are delicious, great job!
BEACH CRUISER
One of our guests at BR, the people staying in the Shaw, checked out a beach cruiser with me here at EB. I have his license. Please remind him tomorrow to bring the bike back and get his license from us at EB. Thank you!
BREAD
Please, once we are low on bread make sure and pull a bag each of wheat and white from the freezer to let it defrost in the refrigerator. It is really hard to defrost last minute in the morning.
OJ
Please make sure there is a full pitcher of OJ for the front and back as part of your breakfast prep.
Boy-oh-boy, I’m the chatty one today. Well I have to say I have really enjoyed my first week here, I love people and the guests here at the Bird Rock have been a pleasure to serve. Everyone loves the decor and the beds and it’s nice to see happy morning faces enjoying the slowed down tempo of Friday Harbor.
Have a nice weekend.
Happy Friday:)
Ivan from Western Prince would like to take us all on a excursion in the next few weeks on their new boat. Here is the description:
WESTERN EXPLORER
New for 2009, the “Western Explorer” is a 27′ Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, similar to the boats the Coast Guard uses for search and rescue. It is the only US Coast Guard certified Rigid Hull Inflatable in Washington State. The “Western Explorer” seats 15 guests and cruises at up to 30 knots, getting us where we need to go quickly. To ensure your comfort, every guest receives a full length Coast Guard approved anti-exposure suit.
Can any of you employees make it for a trip on the afternoon of the 27th? If note let me know which date that week would work for you.
PARTY PARTY
Don’t forget tomorrow is our annual party.. YUMMY.. 4-7pm… see you all there.
I just got a call from Kathy from “the Place” inviting guests to join them for live music this Friday at 8:00. They are also featuring an anniversary special for dinner this month, for 19.69, your choice of four different entre’s.
Hello wonderful ones!
Great job Debbie & Myah! Please write down your questions and issues you run into (if they can wait) and we’ll discuss them during our ongoing training.
Thank you so much, Elena, for updating the side-duties list and making beautiful signs and all. P.S. we do have another box of scone mix on the shelf, so we should be good for another couple of weeks.
EGGS
Please poke little holes in the eggs when you cook them (egg hole puncher on shelf above toaster). This way they won’t explode and crack. More eggs tomorrow.
NEWSPAPER
Una mas: please buy a daily paper in the morning for our guests.
TOMORROW
Homeport will come by around 10AM and have a look at our lobby floor. Right in front of the front desk it sags. Please call Laura or Cindy and let them know what’s going on.
Well here it is my first day here at the lovely Bird Rock Hotel. It was really fun to talk with the guests this morning. They were so happy with their accommodations and were excited to explore the island. I love you Olga, you are very kind and patient. To the rest of you, I am feeling so much better, thanks for your nice thoughts.
=^^= (kitty face) myah papaya
Got the front doors open waiting for the huge arrival of people. Not much turnout for my amazing scones. Steffi we have an address for the fella who left some cords in his room. Happy Cinco de Mayo is it time for a Margarita ?
OJ
I tried a little of our OJ for the first time in a very long time. It had an off taste, not very good at all? Thoughts? Maybe we can try a different brand?
ICE BUCKET POLISH
YAYYY! Raquel brought us some liquid to polish all of our nice ice buckets and trays with. It virtually no smell and a little goes a long way
OUTSIDE LIGHTS
I think we need to change the bulbs to the lights right outside the lobby none of them turn on.
Congrats Debbie on your first solo Breakfast. It will get easier once you get your groove, Believe me.
Just a few quick notes for everyone.
KEEPING THE SCONES WARM
We have little hot stones in the bottom oven, if you wrap one of them neatly in a napkin and set it in the scone basket, they will stay nice and warm for you.
Raquel brought us nice new Napkins for the scone basket they are in the little door to the right of the dishwasher.
FLOUR
The cake flour should be just fine but wouldn’t suggest mixing it with any other flours, remember baking is a fine science.
TONGS
I was at Market Chef today (YUM) and bought us three new set of the mini tongs for our breakfast and cookies in the evening. Please put a set out with the Scones, eggs, and Fruit.
BUTTER AND JAM
For our newbies we should always have enough individually portioned out and COVERED butter and Jam in the mini fridge in the lobby. I also made us a new sign to put next to the scones and toast and laminated it. Please us the small card holder to display it.
Hi Steffi, First Time Blogging. It is 8;55 everyone is sleeping in and my scones are losing there heat. going well so far. Don’t mind doing 4 days but do need to ask for the weekend of Memorial off.
Thanks
Debbie
Morning Debbie! First shift, yeah! Good luck and of course you will be brilliant:)
FOOD
Let’s try to bake with the cake flour. It’s just finer and has less gluten, should be good for cookies.
SUCCIA
Our guests in the Succia filled out beach cruiser release forms already. So when they would like to check out bikes, no need for more forms.
THURSDAY FIRE ALARM
On Thursday morning 11:30 Guardian Security will come by and conduct an annual fire alarm test. They will need to go in every room. Please let our guests know at breakfast and give Guardian access.
THURSDAY HOUSE KEEPING
Raquel won’t schedule any housekeeping for Thursday. She will however send somebody from Earthbox down to clean our rooms.
No problem Steffi. But just to let you know. The egg checking trick is the other way around. A hard-boiled egg will spin easily. A raw egg will wobble.
Hey all!
Thank you so much Elena, Morgan & Sadie to cover our shift this morning. How many Bird Rock employees does it take to cover a 6 hour shift? Ha, Ha. We hope you feel better soon, Myah.
COOKED EGGS
Please make sure to keep cooked and raw eggs separately. Mark cooked egg container clearly. If you can’t figure out if an egg is cooked, here is a cool trick: spin egg on counter. If it stops spinning as soon as you let it go: cooked. If it continues to spin: raw.
FOOD ORDER
Please blog when a food order comes in, so I know. I ordered toast, fruit, flour & granola for Saturday. We’ll get more eggs tomorrow afternoon.
Have a great night.
SCHEDULE
I had to re-do the schedule some, please have a look. Especially Debbie & Myah (I have you on 4 days during a week where some of us are out of town, won’t happen regularly).
LOBBY FLOOR
Repair has to be rescheduled. We’ll keep you posted.
Does anyone know what happened to the white scoop that was in the scone mix? I can’t find it anywhere.
also,
STEFFI… I bought two papers and a carton of strawberries the last time I worked, and I forgot to put the receipt in the box. I think the total was like $4.65 or something like that. I used a 5 and had coin change. Sorry! I’ll remember next time.
Myah and Debbie were great! Good Job today girl! keep up the good work! (gold star)
Just a reminder to you: tomorrow morning around 11, Jerry at Homeport flooring will be coming over to do some work on the floor behind the couch. This will make a mess which I kindly ask you now to clean up after.
TRAVELER’S CHECKS
We do accept traveler’s checks as payment. However, the guest needs to sign the check, then we need to compare the signatures (traveler’s checks are signed by the guest when they get them, then they need to sign in front of you a second time) and check ID.
MONEY
Please make sure to keep all receipts when going to the store. I keep coming up short.
GARBAGE
Please don’t forget to bring the garbage to the curb:
SUNDAY for Monday recycling pick up
MONDAY for Tuesday garbage pick up (2 cans)
THURSDAY for Friday garbage pick up (2 cans).
LEMONADE
We got a different lemonade concentrate. The ratio is 5:1, not 3:1. Please mix accordingly.
RATES
Starting next weekend our current specials expire and on Friday & Saturday nights our rates go up to the summer rates.
Thank you, Debbie, for being there with me during breakfast. It was busy and fun. See you all next week:)
MAINTENANCE
Please have Seth check the fan in the Matia and the TV in the Speiden on Monday. Please upgrade guests checking into the Speiden over the next couple of days (we got room).
FOOD
I ordered more food for Wednesday (see white board). If we run low, please go to the store.
Tomorrow morning: Debbie & Steffi as the breakfast queens!
Welcome to the team Myah & Debbie!
With a crew like this, may the summer come full force, yeah!
Myah & Debbie will be training next Tuesday & Wednesday morning with Dani & Sadie, respectively. Show ‘em the chops, girls! Myah’s first shift will be Thursday, 4/30 AM. So Dani, you are off the schedule after your Tuesday 4/28 shift (sniff…).
INK
I ran out today just at shift change and Fed Ex brought new cartridges 15 minutes later. That is what I call good timing. Thank you, Laura!
REMOTE CHECK IN
We have 3 remote check ins for tonight. It’s just mayhem at the ferry terminal today. One of our guests still needs to pay. See alarm.
Also: starting next weekend our PM shifts on Friday & Saturday will end at 10PM.
Almost a full house tonight. Good luck at your first “morning alone” shift, Sadie. I know you can do it! See you at noon.
Hello Friends…
Res#1579058 made reservations for him and his friends(res# 1579061,1579063) for the weekend of may 2nd. They have WW tour with SJ Safaris for 5/2 and may have another couple joining them. He will call tomorrow to confirm. If that other couple comes, they want the cypress. And will also want to go whale watching with their friends, so you’ll need to call SJ Safaris to add another two people to the roster for 5/2.
Thanks, sorry if that was long.
I made the food order with Tom today. Should be here on Saturday.
also…I am holding the Whidbey suit under res#1578516 for the guy listed. He said he would call back with the rest of the info later today. If he doesn’t call by the time you leave tonight Carla, just cancel it. ( I told him thats what we would do)
Thanks!
I met with Homeport flooring today and they are going to need to do some work on the lobby floor next Wednesday, April 29th from 11-12 am. Dani, I think you are on the schedule for that time, so call me if you have any questions. I think all they have to do is to move the couch away from the wall and do a little work. There may be a little mess to clean up when they are done. Thanks for your patience!
The Backdoor Kitchen will be calling us back in regards to a Sunday reservation I tried to make for res#1575124. They want to have dinner at BDK May 24th at 6:00pm(6adults,2babies), but BDK is not sure if they will be open Sundays yet. So when they figure it out they will call us back.
When they do call back, please confirm reservation with them and then email the guest and let them know whats going on(either yes or no).
Thanks so much! people love the Backdoor Kitchen, That’s the 4th reservation I have made there this week! Wahooooo!!
CARLA…
Did you cancel/change the reservation at Backdoor that I made for reservation 1406148 on June 6th? Since they are coming on a different day now I just wanted to make sure we had all the dates and everything correct for them.
let me know, and I can call backdoor if need be.
Thanks Carla!! your the best! Thanks for taking care of the reservation for me!
Hello everyone! I have survived my first night here closing! Yahoo! Dani, I apologize already if I forget to do something, please put in the blog if I have missed anything so I can try again on Thursday! Reservation #1406148 is taken care of so no worries. Have a great day!
Sorry Elena I can’t work for you I have to work from 8-12 at the fuel dock and then 12to5 at Daisy Bloom. I might be able to come in and set up breakfast at 7:30 if that helps at all. Let me know. Sorry!
I spoke with a man today who is possibly going to book 6 different rooms (all ground level & top floor) for 1 night on May 2. I was a little confused on our pricing and quoted him the off-season prices for 1 person and on-season prices for 2 people. Steffi says to honor this due to the amount of rooms he is booking. Thank you!
INK
Laura will order us some more ink for our printer tomorrow. In the meantime please don’t conduct frivolous printing. What? Well, we are pretty low, is all.
MENU GUIDE
Sadie and I started updating the menu guide. If you guys are slow tomorrow, run around and get us menus. Sadie has the list of menus we need.
I’m sitting here blogging, while amazing Carla and beautiful Sadie are setting up for breakfast. Ahhh, the upside of training. Love you guys.
I’m desperate…
I need someone to work for me on Sunday the 26th because we will be in Seattle ON Saturday and it would be impossible for me to get back by Sunday. Anyone willing to work for me/ trade? I could work on Wednesday night for Dani? My Sunday shift would only be from 7:30-12. Please let me know anyone.
Welcome Sadie!
I, too, have noticed the open, vacant rooms being untidyed. I have come in many mornings with the doors to the vacant rooms still open with all the lights on. so please make sure you close the rooms and turn the lights off before you leave so we don’t make extra work for the lovely housekeepers.
Thanks!
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
Gerard will bring us 7th Generation dish washing detergent next week. Wow, that was one foamy dishwasher, but all is good now.
GARBAGE
We have too much. I’ll call Regino tomorrow and ask if he can do a dump run. Please don’t forget to bring the garbage to the street:
MONDAY for Tuesday pick-up
THURSDAY for Friday pick up
SUNDAY for recycling pick up on Monday
FOOD NEXT WEEK
I won’t be able to order food next week. Dani, please call Tom on Thursday and put in a food order for Saturday.
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
OOoops
I put the Seventh Generation soap that was under the sink in the dishwasher and… That soap is not intended for the dishwasher and there was foam everywhere. I marked it but I would agree that we the seventh generation was the best.
SPOONS
We are really low on spoons. I took a dozen from our extra and put them out and we still have another dozen for back-up but, we will probably need to order more before we get really busy.
SLEEPY
I don’t know if it is a problem or not I’m just pointing it out. The bed in the back looks like it is being slept in can we please just make sure that it gets made neatly?
Also…
This is a little unusual but housekeeping says that they have been finding the bed in the Patos unmade lately. WEIRD and doubly important that we close up the rooms at night.
GUESTS ALLERGIC TO GOOSE DOWN
In the future, when we have guests requesting hypoallergenic bedding, please write it in the Housekeeping section of the reservation AND let Housekeeping know one day ahead.
BAINBRIDGE FIRE PLACE
The pilot went out. I couldn’t get it back on. Regino (thank you for coming from home!) got it after a long time trying. Maybe we need a new pilot light ignitor? Shall I give the propane people a call?
I think that’s all. Got newspaper for tomorrow already. Almost sold out tonight, yippieh!
VISITOR’S SURVEY
Please hand a visitor’s survey (next to computer) to all guest checking in the next few weeks. Place the filled out forms in the safe. Let our guests know, they will be entered into a raffle for a free night on San Juan.
COFFEE PODS
Laura ordered us new coffee pods. They are under the sink in the lobby.
BAINBRIDGE ESPRESSO MAKER
I assembled one working espresso maker from the 2 broken ones (or so I hope) and placed it in the Bainbridge. Please let me know if we continue to have issues with it.
WHIDBEY COFFEE
The Whidbey is currently the only room without espresso maker. Regino got us a drip coffee maker (Thank you!). I will get us coffee for it and place it in the room.
Makes me all jittery, all that coffee talk. Is that gorgeous out there or what? Almost sold out for tonight, yeah!
FREE TICKETS
We have some great tickets to give a way to our guest that will be with us on Sunday evening. Please ask the EB front desk if you have a guest that is interested. The showing is a tribute to Roy Orbison, there are 2 showings one at 4pm and one at 7pm, both showings are at the SJC Theatre. Be sure to offer them to guests who will be here. Thanks everyone have a good weekend.
Hi Bird Rock staff. I want to let you know that Duck Soup Inn is open for business and we are starting a Friday Happy Hour for the spring. It’s 4:30 to 6:00 with 1/2 price drinks and $2 discounts on appetizers.
See you soon.
Cheers,
Gretchen
SADIE
Please welcome our newest staff member Sadie. Welcome to the team!
SKIPJACK TV
The HD box of the Skipjack is broken. Seth ordered a new one and wired the Skipjack TV so it works for now, but is not HD.
PATHOS REMOTE
Seth programmed a new remote for the Pathos until we’ll get the old one in the mail.
WHIDBEY & BAINBRIDGE ESPRESSO MAKER
They need fixing. I’m trying to track down who could help us with that (company got sold). I have a call in to the old/new company and to Steve from SJ Coffee. Please let me know if I get calls regarding those issues. Until then I asked Raquel to supply those rooms with a regular coffee maker.
FOOD
Will come on Saturday. Sadie & I will stock us up for Saturday morning breakfast.
#532613652737
Dani, please ask me about this reservation.
OJ
Our beautiful Laura, guest starring as breakfast queen this morning (thank you so much, you rock my little under-staffed world) suggested to blend a whole orange and some ice in with the morning orange juice, to make it frothy and delicious. Let’s do that. It will need to be done in the morning. The blender is behind the coffee maker.
NEWSPAPER
Please don’t forget to buy a daily newspaper in the morning.
Thank you so much, Dani, for working for me last night. I’m much better today.
The T.V in the Skipjack is perpetually broken. we need to find a way for this to not happen all the time!! Maybe move the satellite box, or something. But after every guest the T.V needs a fixin…
poor Seth!
A woman called today and said she packed the remote control from Patos in her suitcase and she had no use for it so she is going to mail it back to us.
I said thank you.
Espresso
I couldn’t find the number anywhere for the Soltazzo people we bought the machines from. Laura do you have it? If you e-mail it I can call tomorrow afternoon
Patos
The remote control is missing, Olga couldn’t find it anywhere in the room.
Elena, don’t forget to close all the vacant rooms at night. Those little kids from the Bainbridge were playing in the open rooms and messing up the beds…naughty, but cute.
I didn’t buy any melon since the cantaloupe should be fine and there is still half of the other melon. I can run to the store at shift change tomorrow.
THE FUTURE
I updated the event calendar on the Earthbox website through June. Check it out, lot’s of stuff going on for the centennial celebration, cool tours and lectures. Be informed and let our guests know.
DISH SOAP
Morgan, our rock, thank you so much for working this shift for us on your regular day off. And thanks for polishing, yeah! And no, you are not the only one who has issues with the dishwasher soap. We are still looking for the perfect product: well cleaning and yet environmentally friendly. I liked the 7th generation gel. Girls?
FLOWERS
Ralph, the flower guy, will stop by every Thursday. Please pick one (or 2 if 1 is too small) bouquet for the lobby. We have an account with him.
Not much to report. Hope I made the regular employees happy by polishing the Lobby and kitchen floors. I also polished the tables and chairs and the front of the buffet counter. The only real thing I want to say is that I don’t think I like that new powdered dishwasher soap. I followed the directions on the label but a good deal of the dishes came out with a thin white powdery film on the tops of them. I had to basically re-wash about a quarter of a load by hand. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this or was it an isolated incident? curious curious.
FOOD
We got our first order from Tom today. Did I mention his fantastic prices? Wow. I ordered yogurt, fruit, jam, granola & toast for the weekend from him and put up an ordering schedule in the kitchen. He doesn’t have a minimum order and often has a small inventory in his large cooler on the island. I will do the ordering for now, but please call him if I’m not here and we are out of something, he might just have it.
SPEIDEN
Our lovely guests in the Speiden got woken up at 1AM from King’s noise (sounded like restocking to them). I upgraded them and they are happy as clams, vowed not to leave their room for the rest of their stay:)
HOMEPORT
Left another message. Please let me know when they call back.
The cherry trees down by the water are blooming. Popeye splashed us with water yesterday, while we were buying fish at the dock (she looks like she is getting enough to eat). It’s Spring!
I swept and mopped, and wiped/dusted everything in the lobby. I also swept and mopped the kitchen and behind the desk as well as vacuumed the backroom. Everything is shiny and beautiful, just like the weather.
BAINBRIDGE & WHIDBEY
Lock in the Bainbridge is fixed. New keys for Whidbey are made.
LUGGAGE TAGS
We have them, under the desk on your right. Please use them when guests store their luggage with us. More in a labeled box in the back room.
OSHA
There is a new folder in the file cabinet, labeled “Osha”. In it incident reports in case one of us injures herself on the job. Please fill one out in case of injury and let Cindy or I know immediatly.
INVOICES
Please put invoices, agent payment requests, etc. in the safe.
… wait, there is more.
BAINBRIDGE
The lock mechanism for the entrance door broke, i.e. once you lock the door, you can’t open it again with a regular key (my master does the job). I called Kyle, the locksmith, he will swing by tomorrow and fix that (he knew exactly what I was talking about). Yeah!
WHIDBEY
Kyle, the locksmith, will stop by Monday and will make us 4 more Whidbey keys.
FOOD
I ordered some dairy from Tom for Tuesday delivery, but please go to the store if we run low.
PAPERCUTTER
Donde estas? Does anybody know? It used to live under the back desk. I brought some more rack cards, they just need to be cut. The spa will bring more flyers as soon as they have them.
LOBBY FLOOR
Elena, did Homeport ever call back?
What a gorgeous day. Lot’s of walk-ins, phones very busy, nice.
I procaf-ed the coffee pump pot/pitchers. They are beautifully clean.
Elena sorry you feel your the only one cleaning. I’m still learning the ropes and what needs to be done, so bear with me…I’m trying. Let me know if there is anything I should be doing of if you need something done. I would love to help!
Nice day here on the Rock. Quiet. 5:00 and none of the 5 check-in are here yet. I guess I would be outside too if I had the option!
THE LOBBY
PLEASE… the lobby needs to be properly swept and mopped when needed (2-3 times per week with the liquid in the back), the counters need to be wiped down, tables wiped down, glasses shelf dusted, cabinet fronts wiped down (they get really sticky) microwave cleaned inside and out, carafes for coffee and hot water should always be wiped down before getting put out, etc there are endless things to clean and do and they just don’t seem to be getting done, I came back after two days off to a horrible floor with loads of footprints at the entrance and throughout and a huge round sticky spot by the garbage can, it didn’t look like it had been cleaned since Monday. Please I hate to feel like I’m the only one doing these things, especially because the busy season is upon us and we will need to work together to make sure that things look good and go smoothly.
FLOORING
I didn’t see the guys from Home Port flooring in today so I called them and left a message to see if they will get back to us.
COOKIE DOUGH
I didn’t realize how late it was when I started making it, I did manage to get it balled up. It just needs to get put in baggies.
Well, looks like the weather gods misunderstood our prayers. We didn’t really mean more snow and torrential rains. But our guests are troopers, all wrapped up in rain gear, going whale watching, hiking, even biking.
CELL PHONE
We found our front desk phone. Yeah, Edgar!
FOOD
I ordered FSA for Friday and more eggs. Next week, we’ll try something new. I’ll order food from Tom Ashcraft. He uses local (as in Oregon, Washington, BC) purveyors and has his eye on sustainable, organic food to affordable prices (gallon of hormone free milk from Bow, Wa – $2.50, amazing innit?) and he delivers. Who says we can’t have it all?
BAINBRIDGE TV
Seth came by and fixed the tv in the master bedroom temporarily by making it just a regular tv, not HD. Thank you so much! Wrote maintenance slip.
SPEIDEN HEAT
I emailed Cindy to please send electrical Dave over to have a look.
NEWSPAPER
Morning girls, please don’t forget to get a Seattle Times for our guests in the morning.
$$
Please make sure to keep all receipts when you go shopping. We are consistently off by $3 to $10 every time I reconcile cash.
INVOICES
Please put invoices, paid & due, in the safe.
Wow, what a gorgeous day. We had 4 walk-ins, had the doors open all day and couldn’t keep up with making more strawberry lemonade.
SPIEDEN BATHROOM FLOOR
THE heat does not work… that is my understanding and Olga says that it is always, always cold in there no matter how much you adjust the heat.
INTERNET
The internet was really sluggish this morning, and then not working at all for a while, it is fine now.
WESTERN PRINCE
I talked for a long time with Ivan last night about the oddity that everybody charges $75 per person for a whale watch trip this season, but Western Prince charges $76, why, why, why?
Western Prince gives 4% of their profits to salmon restoration organizations. No salmon – no whales – no whale watch tours – no visitors, get it? He said, he thinks he owes that to our environment. I loved him for that.
So, having said all that, he doesn’t want us to go through the trouble of manually changing the whale watch price every time we book with him. We can just leave it at $75.
Western Prince goes out daily at noon.
ISLAND PAPER
When Gerard comes on Monday for the Island Paper order, the filled out form is on the white board in the kitchen. More order forms are behind you on the back desk.
BAINBRIDGE TV SOME MORE
The master bedroom TV is not working again. I got phone counsel from Seth to no avail. He will stop by tomorrow and have a look. The guest thinks it’s the cable from the TV to the box. I think it’s the coaxial cable. Seth?
FOOD’N'THINGS
I’ll order FSA for next Friday (including teas) and will bring some luggage tags from E next week. Until then please go to the store if you need something.
CLEANLINESS
We are getting busier. Please don’t forget to put the garbage & recycling out. Have a look at our side duty list (on white board). Mop the floors, wipe things down, especially the fridges and everything in the lobby. Let’s keep our big white beauty sparkling clean.
Thank you all for your hard work.
LUGGAGE TAGS
I think we will need to order some luggage tags for down here at BR, the season is slowly starting but people are requesting more and more to leave their bags with us.
GROCERIES
Enough for the weekend, we may nee to order some yogurt, grapes etc by this coming Wednesday.
MOVING
Please remember that if you have to move someone from one room to another to make a note somewhere so that housekeeping can do a tidy on the room. This is really important as we are coming up on the busy season.
TONGS
We used to have two sets of small tongs and I can only find one right now. Has anyone spotted the second pair?
The T.V/satellite in the Speiden is not working. It says “no signal” and I have no idea how to fix it. I called Seth and put in a maintenance request.
Hopefully he can fix it.
Thanks!
YOGA VOUCHER
Adam is creating a new and exciting special soon, involving yoga class add-ons to reservations. New yoga vouchers are in the voucher file with the other current adventure vouchers. Stay tuned for more info!
WESTERN PRINCE
Will have a sailing this Saturday at 1PM and will start to go out on the weekends at noon.
ISLAND CULINARY TOURS
Naoni from Hillside B&B is offering culinary tours this season. There is a 2 hour walking tour for $35 touring local restaurants, bakeries, delis and specialty food shops. And also a 3 hour shuttle bus tour for $50 visiting local farms. She offers a free shuttle tour to farms on 4/3 from 1-4 and a walking tour on 4/4 from 10-noon for us tourist industry professionals. Call her to sign up: 378-4730
I went through all the new reservations from today (3.25.09) to the end of December 2009 and did the edit and save thing to fix the wierd $.20 tax thing.
I hope that fixes it.
-Dani
Just an FYI~
When you are booking a whale watch, the price that is in the system is good for all operators except for Western Prince they are $76.00 per person instead of $75.00. So if you choose to book with them remember to increase the rate in the reservation you are making.. Please leave the default rate as it is though.
Thanks,
Jerry with Homeport flooring is going to come by on Wednesday to check the “wavy” floor by the front entry. It may be that we just have to live with it because the underlying floor is so uneven (the building is over 100 years old). But, they will still take a look at it. They wanted to stress again about keeping the temperature not above 70. The deal is that to keep the whole lobby at 70 (which is what the thermostat is trying to do) the floor has to be close to 100 in the colder months. I’m thinking that next winter, we may want to get a space heater by the front desk to keep your sweet little feet warm…
Happy Birthday Steffi….I hope you have a great birthday…
Happy Monday to everyone else…
Remember not to just blog maintenance requests but to write them out for Seth also…
Thanks,
Cindy
BAINBRIDGE TV
Wrote maintenance request. Guest is fine with “only” 2 working TV’s.
FOOD’N THINGS
Elena, will you let Dani know about our jam & butter serving innovations, please?
Got eggs, ordered coffee, made cookie dough.
Can you guys do FSA on Thursday, maybe do it together, so Dani can learn it?
Thank you, Soco, for singing the longest and most beautiful, but very long Mexican birthday song for me today. I loved it!
BAINBRIDGE REMOTE
The TV and remote in the king bedroom are not working when I turn the TV on a big white screen appears with a big black block to the bottom right of the screen. It looks like the guests tried to fix it themselves and had taken the card out of the front of the console. I will keep trying to figure it out.
LOBBY FLOOR
Laura & Cindy will tackle the issues with the lobby floor on Monday.
LOBBY SOME MORE
Let’s keep her clean! Please wipe counter, tables & sweep/mop floor, especially after breakfast and at the end of the day. Dust the shelves, make sure the glassware is polished, don’t forget the fridge & the microwave. It’s the first impression our guests have, let’s make it an immaculate one!
BODY CARE LABELS
Please let Raquel know, that Laura printed out some more labels for our body care products. I put them in Raquel’s box next to the safe.
NEWSPAPER
Beautiful Laura would like us to get 2 copies of the Seattle Times every morning. Subscriptions are not available here, unfortunately. So please run over to Kings as soon as you can in the morning or pick them up on your way to work. Thank you.
ROOM SERVICE
We had our first room service here at BR today. I didn’t charge the guest the 15% delivery fee, since we don’t have this written down anywhere yet.
So here is how it works:
1) The Back Door kitchen staff will call us and tell us that one of our guests ordered room service. Make sure you ask which room & what items where ordered.
2) Set up a tray with plates, silverware, wine glasses if applicable, etc.
3) Pick up the food at the Back Door Kitchen and two copies of the invoice.
4) Bring food (in boxes, don’t plate it) on tray, invoices and pen to guest room.
5) Have guest sign one of the invoices, give him the other one.
6)Apply charges to room and charge guest’s credit card (unless they paid cash).
Adam is working on our guest room directories. Once we have them, all guests will find a menu and a “how to order room service” sheet in their room. Once that is in place, charge the guest for the food plus 15% delivery charge.
7) Write confirmation number on signed guest invoice, put in an envelope, write “Back Door Kitchen” on it and put in safe.
Ask me if you have any questions. There might be times when it gets a little hectic, picking up food, checking people in etc. Make sure you let all guests know what’s going on, give the food a bit of priority, since it’s perishable.
Can we do this? Yes, we can!
GROCERIES (FSA)
I placed an order via phone with Jerry today. I ordered what I think will get us through another week or so based on the bookings we have for now. The list of what I ordered is in your box Steffi.
HOT WATER.
This is my second blog (I think) about the hot water troubles. A lot of guests have been complaining about not being able to get hot water even when we are not busy and no one else is using hot tubs or showers. Can we please, please get this looked at by Rob maybe, or Seth? It is urgent since last night the people in the Lopez could only get barely warm water to fill their tub with.
FOOD
Elena will put in a FSA order for Friday and will ask the rep to check in with us on Thursdays for a Friday delivery for now. Let’s keep our white board current with things we need and blog about what we ordered.
EGGS
I got a whole bunch of eggs from Chris (they went like hot cakes this weekend). Please use (cook) in order (next cook box 2, then box 3, then box 4) etc.
Also please keep the egg cartons for Chris (on top of fridge)
CHRIS
It’s all about her. She is fantastic and we love her! She is gardening up a storm this summer and is in need of cardboard and newspaper to prepare her beds. Give her a ring, when we get in a food order or large appliances or so, she will pick up recyclables.
But wait, that’s not all. Chris will guest star with us this Thursday. Dani, will you show her at shift change how we set up the breakfast buffet, please? That’s new from the last time Chris worked.
NATURE
When driving to work this morning I saw a couple of bald eagles taking apart a medium sized mammal (yum), like 3 feet from my car. Every time I see eagles so close I’m amazed by these majestic creatures. They are huge and gorgeous. We are so blessed being able to live here.
MOST THOUGHTFUL GUEST OF THE WEEKEND
The most thoughtful guest of the weekend award goes to Andre, who left me not one but two “Der Spiegel” magazines, kind of a German version of the New Yorker. Thank you so much, you made my week!
THIEF!
Just a heads up to everyone, we recently learned from the police that there are some very determined thieves currently on the loose. It seems they have managed to break into a couple of cars and houses already. SO… everybody lock your cars and please make sure that the back kitchen door (it was unlocked this morning) and all balcony doors are well locked. Also check that any ground floor windows are also locked.
ISLAND PAPER
dropped off an easy order form for us. It hangs on the pin board in the kitchen. Please indicate on the form what we might need (for us front deskers: office supplies). Their Rep comes Tuesdays.
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Now that we are open all week again, please bring the garbage and recycling to the curb (West Street).
SUNDAY: recycling for Monday pick up.
MONDAY & THURSDAY: garbage (not more than 2 cans) for Tuesday & Friday pick up, respectively.
INTERNET
went down island wide right in the middle of a ferry rush. Thank you, super patient and wonderful guests for your understanding. Thank you, Morgan, for grabbing your lap top, connecting it to the back up internet up at E and helping me out. Let’s all get in the habit of printing out today’s check-ins in the morning, when we print the housekeeping reports!
BIG BANG
shock the house when the wind picked up. One of the rope lights on top of the roof came loose and slammed against the building. Amazing Seth came by and took it down. We should take all of them down. Seth, thank you so much for all you do, especially coming by Saturday nights for emergency calls. You rock!
We are almost sold out and once again blessed with the nicest vacationers. Yeah!
Well the guest in the Fidalgo canceled after being here for 30min. Apparently worked called him away. He said he liked the room though. I checked the room and everything is fine. He said all he did was set his bag down and then leave. So that’s why it’s not on the housekeeping report. That’s about it. Just the Marrowstone and the Orcas for breakfast. I hope I set everything up right for you Danni. Have a good one.
SCHEDULE
Just to keep us all on our toes I remade the current schedule. Dani will put it up tomorrow. Please have a look, thank you all so much for your flexibility.
Hey Elena,
I see you point, with the jam & butter, but don’t like the idea of the garbage the individually wrapped items would entail. How about utilizing our little individual bowls and displaying them in an ice bowl? Let’s try that and see how that goes!
Thanks for all your hard work. Your chocolate covered strawberries were such a hit. Your reorganizing of the kitchen is excellent. Thank you.
**Spring Forward!**
I changed the times on all the clocks in the rooms.
Jam and Butter
I had a guest make a very valid point today that I have been considering for some time now. The way that our jam and butter are set out right now are not very sanitary. You have on any given busy morning as many as 30 or more people dipping their spoons and knives into the same bowl of Jam and butter dish. It is always messy with plenty of crumbs making their way into both containers. Could we consider getting individually packaged butter and jam?
We lent the spare ipod radio/clock to the nice couple in the Marrowstone. Make sure to put it back in the back room after they check out.
Don’t forget….
DAY LIGHT SAVINGS…SPRING AHEAD!!
Steffi already changed the clock behind the desk and on the oven.
Please Make sure before you lock the hotel tomorrow that you change the clocks in all the rooms. Thank you! D and S
The art in the Skipjack and in the San Juan is fixed and back up.
Jerry with FSA is coming on Monday after 1 with yogurt.
HI everyone my name is Dani and I’m new.
THE KITCHEN
It is all re-organized with labels were things should go, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE lets try to keep it this nice as long as possible. I moved all the things that we won’t be using any more to the top shelves and moved trays and ice buckets, bowls, dishes to the shelves above the mini fridge for easy access during busy breakfasts.
Romance package buckets and trays need to be polished I will ask Raquel if she can get us something to polish them with.
LOBBY FLOORING
As I was cleaning the floor today I noticed that the wood boards are coming apart and there is a big crack down the center off the lobby floor and you can see splitting in other parts as well.
SAN JUAN BATHROOM
Will need to be cleaned tomorrow. Our guests in the Matia wanted to take a bath, but there is no drain stopper in the common bathroom, so I let them use the San Juan tub.
MARROWSTONE I-POD RADIO
The Marrowstone guests wanted an i-pod docking radio. I gave them our spare. Please make sure to put the spare back into the box when they check out.
FRIDGE
Seems to be working fine. Thank you, Elena, for defrosting that.
SUCCIA HEAT
3 days on high, 3 days in the off position and 2 days in the middle didn’t make any difference in temperature. I left it in the middle. Waiting for Dave for further instructions.
SKIPJACK ART
Cindy, Laura & I are working on a way to fix that. Stay tuned.
Hello there:)
Dave will be down later today to check on the Sucia. But remember the best thing to do when a room is not getting warm is not to turn it down but to call Dave. He is pretty presistent about not ever turning the heat off, because when he comes to check it now, it will have been off and blah blah, so for the future just fyi.. Thanks….
Black Hair, Please save these details for an email. It would be better served emailing Laura and I directly right away.. THANKS…..
Elena, I will check with Laura on the Via Motif order, I think those all sound like great choices.
Dani Rand is our newest employee she is Dave the sign company guys daughter. Welcome Dani….
Please email me the update on the refrigerator as soon as possible in case we need to replace it, by chance is this the new one we got a about a year ago? If so then it may be on warranty..
Have a great Friday..
**REFRIGERATOR**
I took everything out that I could to let it defrost while we are closed but…I noticed this morning that there is water leaking out of the bottom I put a rag there top soak it up for now but if we could get someone to take a look at it before we open that would be great.
**Little Black Hairs**
As I was walking through the hotel opening up rooms today I noticed that one of the beds had a few little black hairs I picked them off but I asked the girls if they had noticed them, and asked that they be more careful. They then showed me something very unnerving the upstairs laundry room has little black hair that has made its was into the carpet and the machines. Despite their best efforts the hairs are stuck in the rubber surrounds of the washing machines and the lint screens of the dryers. The have run the machine with just water, cleaned it out with rags even vacuumed it and still no luck. They say that they are having to pick the hairs off the sheets, pillow cases, towels and bathrobes as they fold and iron them. The issue seems to only be upstairs which is even stranger. Does anyone know where these little black hairs could be coming from? The girls said they will do their very best to make sure the hairs don’t make it into any beds but, I shutter to think what would happen if a guest slipped into a bed with hair.
BREAKFAST BUFFET STYLE
OK so everything went pretty well though there are some things which need to be fine tuned and some items which if it is at all possible could be purchased… Don’t worry its not a lot.
1… Some sort of Bamboo table runner for the counter so it looks more cohesive Via motif has a great Palm wood one that is 13″x60″ perfect for our counter
2… A smaller coffee tray? Again Via Motif has a great one that is only 16″x16″
3… this is the last one… Via Motif has a couple of great baskets (for scones and toast) and a stand that would really help us get the most out of the counter space we have.and a silverware holder that doesn’t take up so much space.
Other than that the pitchers we have are fine, the big bowls we used for yogurt before are great, the big white platters we have will work for fruit.
RANDOM OTHER THOUGHTS (WORK RELATED)
We won’t stock soy milk and plain yogurt on a regular basis anymore. We will buy soy milk as a special request. We will buy plain yogurt when we order large amounts of food, but won’t buy it retail if we are out for a couple of days.
Our freezer needs defrosting. I think we have to do the entire fridge. Elena, can you move everything into the little fridge on Sunday and defrost the guy, please?
BREAKFAST BUFFET
Today is the day we go back to serving breakfast buffet style. I put stuff (cereals, butter, jam, milk, OJ, plates, buss tray, etc.) together tonight. Elena, let me know how that worked, what we need to fine tune.
Also: very important: if our guests saw on Trip Advisor or our Rack cards that we serve breakfast in the room and they had their heart set on it, by all means: YES, WE CAN. Have them fill out a breakfast form (they are behind you by the beach cruiser release forms) and let the morning person know via blog.
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up.
SUCIA
I’m experimenting with the Sucia heat (it is still ice cold in there). So I turned it to 90, don’t touch, let’s see how that feels tomorrow.
I let Seth know about the Speiden blinds. Don’t know how to deal with the art next to the Skipjack. I took it down. Laura, bring it to a framer?
Alright Morgan I forgive you (it was the puppy eyes)… really it wasn’t a big deal, we managed.
R.I.P
The art work to the left of the skipjack door had one of the corners cracked in a very noticeable way. I left it for now but is there something we can replace it with?
Maintenance request***
The chords on the blinds in the Spieden somehow came out of the little slot.
Ah crud on a stick. Sorry Elena I totally spaced the silverware thing. So many folks were coming and going and needing things. I feel bad. Can you forgive me? *puppy eyes* Drop it off up here and I’ll roll it during my shift at EB.
Yes, everything was fine this morning except that the silverware wasn’t rolled. Sorry for not coming up last night but I was in horrible pain with a thumb about three times it normal size after having slammed my car door on it. I’m much better today.
MATIA ESPRESSO MACHINE: I was able to fix it and put it back in the room
Well hello strange new blog. Well for one of my rare cover shifts I hope I did ok. Had a few walk-ins. I prepped what I was told and with Elena’s over-the-phone guidance, I made an early departure brekkie for a guest. I hope the after-hours check-in got in ok and didn’t have to wake up Elena. How’s your thumb by the way? Well that’s about it. Hope I didn’t screw up too badly.
P.S. Elena, don’t forget to turn up the phone ringer. Thanks!
ESPRESSO MAKER
The espresso maker from the Matia broke. Elena, can you try to play your magic on it and if that doesn’t work, can you send it back on Tuesday? Please blog about. For now there is a drip coffee maker in the room.
SUCIA
Couldn’t get that room warm. Gave guest a space heater.
And that was really all the bad stuff. Tons of super nice happy guests. Ahh, the love… or was it Elena’s amazing cookie dough?
Happy rest of the weekend everybody. Call me at home if you need something.
Hey Elena,
I hope you feel better today, or excellent actually!
SHAW
We had a bit of a mishap (ask Olga or I). The Shaw will be an early check in. Please go up and tidy the room first thing tomorrow.
ROMANCE
We have 2 Romance packages, see WRP.
COOKIES
Can you please start a cookie dough for me? My cookies are just never as tasty as yours and tomorrow they should be super good:)
RESTAURANTS
All restaurants in town are sold out. Vinny’s agreed to cook take-out for our guests. I will hop over and get it for them. Offer that to guests who don’t have reservations.
Morning Elena:)
SAN JUAN DIRTY
Please clean the San Juan Suite for today’s arrival (as per your Mama).
FOOD
Don’t forget we’ll get a big food order on Friday.
Only buy food for the next couple of days. You have $20 in petty, if you need more, please get check from Cindy.
MAINTENANCE
Seth will have look at the shower in bath 1 and the bainbridge TV. Can you ask him to please bring the cushions for the outdoor furniture from storage and put them out before the weekend?
BREAKFAST
Orosco will be your fellow breakfast warrior this Sunday. After that we’ll go back to serving breakfast buffet style. Let’s talk about this on Saturday.
ALARMS
We are starting to get reservations and adventure/massage requests for the summer (yippieh ya ye). I would like us to start including the arrival date when we create an alarm, as in: book massage for 7/31/09 arrival. We would set an alarm like that for the beginning of July, but then, when we glance at the alarms in a hurry, we know, we don’t have to deal with booking this right this moment. Does this make sense?
The shared bath number 1 is leaking worse than ever we can’t get it to stop at all and the shower has a white ring all around because of the constant dripping, Olga says that it is also leaking out of the handles (Hmmmm… sounds familiar) Can we please look into this?
TV’s
Seth fixed the Cypress TV. I checked on the Bainbridge bedroom TV today and it needs some kind of programming. I’ll make sure we deal with that before next week.
EMPLOYEE SHOWER
Olga and I moved all the boxes out of the shower and ran some water and a hint of bleach through there. Smells fabulous now. We need to do that every week or so.
GARBAGE
Seth took all the garbage and built a roof over the bins, nice! Thank you.
FSA
I placed an order for Friday 2/13 for our big love & presidents weekend. It’ll come before I get here at 1. I’ll make sure somebody (Olga?) will be here to receive the order.
Lot’s of phone reservations today. Got some inquiries for this weekend and had them all stay at EB.
SCHEDULE
We had to make some schedule changes and the schedule for Valentine’s week is up. Thank you all for your flexibility these days, we appreciate it!
WHALE WATCHING
Whale watch tour prices will go up to $75 (SJS)/$76 (WP) per adult this summer. I switched the prices in WRP.
Bainbridge bedroom TV
Doesn’t work, Elena & I tried it all. Seth knows.
Marrowstone Gate
Scott will have the new hinges in next week…
Blown over fence
Seth and Regino will have the Fence and gate down below finished Friday..
Great job..
DOOR SOME MORE
One of us made a new key for the front door, instead of making a copy, thereby voiding all other keys. Please pay extra special super attention to that, always copy, never new! And I don’t mean that in any kind of philosophical sense.
THE DOOR…AGAIN
Peoples keys still are not letting them in the front door. all the keys I tested for all the rooms don’t work. Can we please re-program them?
Moved the Cypress people to the San Juan, I know huge upgrade but their TV wasn’t working and they wanted to move only if it was close, and since it was late and we had the availability I just moved them over, so please remember to let housekeeping know next time they come that the Cypress is also dirty.
Yuchu Elena! Happy shift!
>
> FRONT DOOR
> is fixed for good. Thank you Seth, the amazing.
>
> PRINTER INK
> is in the bag of Bird Rock things I put together in E’s luggage room.
> Can you please put it in the printer and store the extra in the lower
> file cabinet in the back?
>
> EGG SITUATION
> Beautiful Laura bought us hot plates and pots. Please poke hole in
> eggs, put in cold water, bring to boil and let boil for 10 min (uncovered).
> ALSO: let’s ALWAYS unplug the hot plates after use.
>
> Thanks for all the things you do. See you Saturday.
>
I received an all time high number of calls last night from guests whose keys would not let them back in the building. We need to get them re-programmed ASAP.
EGG COOKER
Our egg cooker is no more. We’ll cook eggs at Elena’s or in the San Juan if we don’t have guests and buy something soon.
HEAT
Please don’t forget to leave the heat at 65 in all rooms and please let the Housekeeping Goddesses know.
FERRY SCHEDULES
Morgan brought us some current ferry schedules. Thank you!
NEW BOOKING
There is a reservation in the new booking section. Please don’t process, I’ll deal with it.
And I think that’s it. It’s nice here tonight. The place looks great (thank you, Olga, Raquel & Regino), our guests are lovely and giddy to catch some sun and slack; a brave couple even took the beach cruisers for a spin.
WOW, the 2 weeks have gone by FAST… Welcome back everyone… Here are a few things to get you started..
2. Rack Cards and Business Cards for Earthbox: Business cards will be here by the end of the month, and the rack cards should be done in 30 -45 days (hopefully sooner, I will know more on Wednesday) If someone needs paper information please see Steffi or I.
4. Seth will be in on Monday 1-19-08
5. Tory will be back on the island around the 29th of Jan.
Have a great weekend, and welcome back everyone..
Cindy
Jan 5, 2000
It is so quite in here Laura and Adam and I are like quiet little mice.. Working away.. Happy 2009 everyone.. I miss you all and we will see some of you on the 16th of Jan..
CONGRATULATIONS
We have a very sweet couple staying in the Marrowstone and he proposed to her today at the Cattle Point Light House. Oh, so cute. She said it was so windy, that she didn’t know if the tears came from the wind or from the feelings. The Best from all of us here at Bird Rock!
SAN JUAN – DAVE’S VERDICT
According to Dave everything works fine. But we can not keep turning the temperature up and down in this building and we should not, under no circumstances, ever (he meant it) turn the heat in any room under 65, even if we are closed. I will turn the heat in all rooms to 65 tonight (HK turned the heat off for the season) and we should get locked covers for the thermostats as soon as we can.
$$
Cindy will put out the paychecks on Thursday, 1/1/09. I will be in the Earthbox office 9AM to noon. Come and get ‘em! Please don’t deposit before Friday.
SAN JUAN
I have been experimenting with the San Juan heat over the last 3 days, turned it to 80, left it for a day, came back, it was coolish. Turned it to 60, left it for a day, came back, still coolish (feels like 55 in there, no matter what you do). I turned it to 65 (which if the thermo is backwards should be rather warm). Let’s leave it there for the day and see. Also, the San Juan is a very exposed room all the way on the top there. Maybe that’s the entire problem? And yes, Cindy, I think we should cover those up. More on this fascinating topic tomorrow:)
SAN JUAN
Elena can you please see if the floor heat thermo was shut down in the SAN JUAN, Dave says if the floor heat thermo is turned down at all, it will take a while for the heat to warm back up in the room. I think we will need to put some sort of cover on these thermostats so that this does not happen.
Ah, what a great day. It’s like some kind of ban was lifted. The phone rang a lot, mostly inquiries for March/April/May, made some reservations, had very nice (and very soaked)check-ins. Felt good.
When the rain came down in buckets I had a couple of leaks in the lobby, but only for the duration of the rain.
Elena, do we have some more ink for our printer? We are very low.
Happy Sunday everybody!
SAN JUAN HEAT
I got a call from the guests last night saying that the room just wasn’t heating. So I had to move them to the Bainbridge which I knew would heat up the fastest with the fireplace. It looks like the San Juan is one of the rooms that has the numbers on the thermostat backwards. They are fine and happy now and will stay in the Bainbridge.
ICE MACHINE
Seth Ran the cleaning liquid through it and got the machine nice and clean. It had yucky green stuff in the tubes. Maybe we should set some sort of alarm to do this on a regular basis.
SAN JUAN
Very, very nice couple who have met Adam before, I will put some champagne in the room tomorrow from him.
GROCERIES
Bought enough to get us through the rest of the week. And baked some white chocolate chip, cranberry, granola cookies, just a little experimentation, they turned out good but next time I will put some orange zest and add more cranberries.
Will have one breakfast tomorrow since the Bainbridge rescheduled again due to the weather.
LEAKS…
We had none… can you believe it? Even now that all the snow is melted we haven’t had any leaks and no burst pipes. YAY!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I’m so sorry that we had to cancel the Christmas party. I was looking forward to some holiday cheer with all my crazy cohorts. In the absence of that, Adam and I have given you each a little card which is in your box up at Earthbox.
Lots of Love….
Champagne
We are out. I’ll bring some down from E. I don’t think we need to overstock things right now.
Food
I let the food order ride another week. Brought more petty cash, please go shopping if you need to (doesn’t look like it).
Fidalgo
Breakers keep popping from having a space heater. The breaker for the sink is in the luggage room (thank you Regino, for always being there when we need you, you rock!)
Decalcifying action at BR
Tory did the second floor, so what’s left is: Marrowstone, Whidbey, Saltspring and 3rd floor. Thank you, Tory.
I did my first tidy today. About time after 2 years! Thanks again, Tory, for showing me the chops.
ELENA – Marrowstone guests arrived early. Regino was on the property so he gave them their keys. I talked to the guest and told him I thought you’d have the romance items in the room around 1′ish. I hope that works!
It was a very nice morning, especially with the smell of my experimental brown sugar and cinnamon scones filling the lobby. They were very tasty just 1 tbls to 21/2 cups of scone mix plus about 1/4 of a tsp cinnamon.
CLOSING…
Everything is secure. I will be coming up throughout the week to turn the Christmas lights on and off, I also cleaned out the kitchen fridge, which we should probably start to do every time we close so that the next time someone opens they don’t have to open a refrigerator full of bad fruit, yogurts, milk, etc.
CITRUS
Remember that there are lots of satsumas, oranges, and delicious juicy grapefruits up at Earth box.
Elena,
2 check outs tomorrow and Raquel won’t send in the troops. So if you feel like it, clean them, if not, block them out. Either way, please let your mama know.
Thank you!
Decalcifying Espresso Makers
I want to get this done before we close for the season. It is time consuming, but time we got. So: put a 1/4 teaspoon of decalcifyer (under kitchen sink)in water container of espresso maker. Let run until empty, fill back up, repeat, fill back up, repeat, until water runs clear and you can’t detect any detergent in either, water container or hot water coming out of machine. Blog which rooms are done. I did:
LOPEZ, BAINBRIDGE, SPEIDEN
Manual CC Machine
I got us a new one, it is in lower file cabinet, together with cc paper, in case the power goes out.
Ice Machine
Needs service. I’ll let Seth know.
More Romance
Elena, please don’t forget to pick up chocolate for Friday’s Romance package.
Quiet tonight, had one walk-in though.
Happy Nikolaus everybody (tonight the German St Claus either fills your shoes with sweets or beats you with scotch broom, depending on how good you were, ahh, gotta love the Germans)
Christmas Lights
Regino fixed the lights, thank you! The icicle lights turn on by plugging in the cord right outside the kitchen door. The balcony lights turn on by plugging in the cord by the guest computer.
The tree looks great. Thanks, Elena!
Hey Tory, again!
Jerry will drop off 3 doz eggs Friday afternoon. One of them is for me me me! Please pay him out of petty ($4.50 per doz), I’ll pay petty when I get down there later.
Chris did some serious egg research: the little air sack, which makes the egg easy to peel, only develops after 7 or 8 days after the egg has been laid. So when eggs are too fresh (there is such a thing?) they may be difficult to peel. That’s why I bought a little more, so they can age and we can bake seasonal things with them.
I set up everything in the lobby for when the Christmas tree get delivered. This means I didn’t clean the floors very well just swept and they will probably need to be properly cleaned when we re-open.
Outside wreaths
The wreaths are setup so we don’t even have to go outside to turn them on. There are switches inside on the second floor.
I will be in if I get a chance before we re-open to decorate the tree, otherwise it can be left until I work on Saturday morning.
Had a little problem with some of the TV’s not getting reception, I checked all of them and about 5 in all not receiving. Seth managed to reset and fix most of them after talking with the tech but the Whidbey and Marrowstone bedrooms only are still not receiving signal, sitting rooms OK though. TV still not back from repairs for Fidalgo sitting room just a reminder when selling it.
Could not find #2 keys, any ideas? I made up a new one for the guests walking in today.
Remember to remind guests about the art and craft fair at the elementary school today and tomorrow, it is really good. Till 5 today and 10-4 tomorrow (SAT)
CHRIS
Never mind about the planter trays. Laura found something perfect, tiles with rubber bottoms. They will be delivered to E and should come shortly.
TORY
Please make something fantastic for Thanksgiving, like a pumpkin pie or pumpkin cookies. Also: if you like, start decorating the lobby Christmassy. I’ll bring decorations down there on Tuesday.
CHRIS
Laura bought some tiles for under the planters. I’ll put them in the luggage room. Can you play around with putting something scratch proof under them, please?
ELENA
Will you be the Christmas decorating queen for us down there, please? You are so good at that.
FUN WRP FACT
If you ever have to look up an older reservation and the system says: not found. Go to the reservation desk – search – set time to be searched (i.E. May 2008 – November 2008), then punch in the name or reservation number, and you’ll find it. Yeah!
Adam’s parents are in the San Juan, so can you please make sure Raquel knows that it will need to be cleaned on Friday am, we have an arrival on Friday.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone…
FOOD
I ordered from the food coop and will pick it up on Tuesday. So, Elena, don’t hit me with your big stick when I enter the hotel. And Tory, please make sure there is enough fruit to get through the weekend when you open on Thursday.
Thank you all for your hard work and your flexibility.
Much Love
Friday Morning here. Just reading the blog and there is a website pebblez.com that has natural stone trivets in 6×6 or 12×12 sizes that would look nice under the plants, as long as we choose something smooth and level so they will not rock at all (I am sure similar to the sandstone coasters we have.
I peeled an egg and it actually went pretty easy but I find some difficult at home too. I am wondering if they are so fresh that they cling to the shell. The next time eggs are cooked here next week they will be a week old so may notice a difference. Most eggs are weeks old by the time you get them. They sure are yummy though. And the girls are just so cute and happy to lay them for us!
I think it is a great idea to just sell the room Steffi with one TV, hopefully it won’t take to long to have the TV sent back to us, Seth is going to ship it out today.
I am not sure where the manual cc machine is, BUT you could probable go to Wells Fargo and ask for another one, it is good to have one for when the power goes out..
Laura, my posting went all the way to the bottom when I clicked on POST, thank you so much for fixing that.
Steffi, Laura is working on getting some tile for the bottom of the flower boxes to help with the leaking, LAURA where are you at with that?
Thursday, Tere is leaving, those of you that would like to join Raquel,Tere and friends at Downriggers on Wednesday night at 6PM they would love to have you, it will be dutch treat..
Happy Monday.
Happy Monday,
EGGS – CHRIS
The new eggs are really hard to peel. Did you have the same experience when you did a test egg? Maybe we can experiment with cooking techniques?
PLANTS – LAURA
What do you think we should do with the gorgeous planters leaking onto the furniture?
CC MASHINE – ANYBODY/EVERYBODY
Does anybody know where are manual cc machine is?
FIDALGO TV – SETH
Seth will take the front room Fidalgo TV tomorrow and send it back. I think we should just go with one TV in there until we get a replacement and call upcoming reservations about it. Laura, Cindy?
MARROWSTONE GATE
It’s swollen and doesn’t close. Guests can’t lock it for privacy. I’ll ask Seth for ideas.
I think that’s all. Happy upcoming week everybody!
The Flat Screen in the Spieden is working again. Spa guy just stopped by and took care of a few things. Chlorine way low and filter clogged. Also the gate to the Marrowstone is in need of some attention. I don’t really know what the problem is. But I did fill out a maintenance slip for Seth.
TORY
Please pick up the food coop order on Wednesday, pretty much right when you get there (get order list from fridge, get check from Cindy). Also, please go fruit shopping for the weekend at MP, don’t forget green apples. Thank you. See you Thursday.
ROTATE
We had a whole bunch of yogurts and a milk expire today, because when we stocked, we didn’t rotate the dairy. When you put away a food order, please always move the old stuff to the front and the new stuff in the back. Otherwise it’s waste we don’t believe in!
I-POD RADIO
I lend our spare i-pod radio to our guests in the Marrowstone (they have a CD player as a clock). Please make sure you’ll get it back and put it back in the box. Very important are the 3 different size i-pod adapters. Make sure you got them.
MANUAL CC MACHINE
Done estas? Anybody?
Lot’s of walk-ins tonight, got only 3 rooms left, yiepiehh!
ELENA
Happy Birthday, Sweety! Have a grand time in the big city and party your pants off!
OPENING
When opening the hotel after our midweek closure, please be there at 10:30, so we can check in guests coming from the 10:40 ferry. Also: I will call guests checking in on those days with our office hours (like next Wednesday, Tory will open at 1, guests have been called).
REVIEWS
Please read email regarding reviews over the next couple of weeks. Be afraid, be very afraid. No, I’m just kidding. We love you!
Schedule
I have had to make some schedule changes with the upcoming weeks so please everyone make sure you check the schedules. Tory will you please check with me about something new for next week.:)
I will be sending out a updated schedule later today for next week, so stand by…
Happy Thursday
the Pitter patter of a burglar?
You may not believe this but I can hear just about everything that goes on upstairs from my apartment especially when we are closed.So if you are going to be stopping by for an after hours visit an advanced warning wouldn’t be a bad idea otherwise I get worried and I’m forced to arm myself with a stick and go upstairs to check out whats going on. (Steffi has first hand experience with this ha ha)Joking but seriously I get sort of worried that we are being robbed sometimes.
Just a note…
A lot of guests lately are confused or don’t know what our check-out time is, it happened again today at 11am one of our guests came down and wanted to know what time check-out was. When I told him, he asked to check-out at 1:00 I had to say no but they weren’t too happy, so I had to give them till noon.
DOOR BLOCKING
Elena agreed to take on the blocking and unblocking of the door, so when Chris reopens the hotel, she doesn’t have to crawl over the gate, dig a tunnel under the hotel and enter through the sewer. Simply use your key card and get in. Thank you, Elena.
TORY
Please don’t forget to turn all the clocks back an hour tonight. We get to sleep an extra hour, yeah!
Outsourced
Is the movie we saw last night. Really quaint little independent movie from a Seattle film maker. So this guy in Seattle works as a phone salesman for kitschi Americana items (porcelain eagles and such). His job gets outsourced to India. Before getting laid off he needs to go to India to train his replacement. The guy he is training hands him his card, reading: future call center manager and there is a cow in the half built office. It’s a really touching movie about the global economic situation, being a stranger and that we are all just people. It got Bollywood music, a love story and I laughed out loud a bunch.
last one for today…
the construction schedule is “supposed to be” mon-thurs. starting sometime around 7am. i have made the phone calls for this week to guests.
don’t forget to clean out the egg cooker RIGHT after your done. the brown stuff comes right off if you do it while its fresh. (there was yucky on it when i tried to cook eggs today….ewwwie.)
also…looks like we are having some issues with the mini fridge. (the door not closing and the base is off kilter…so the cooked eggs are in the big fridge marked COOKED EGGS on the carton.
PHONE FORWARDING
Tory and I had a phone forwarding test party and here is what we found out: if you forward BR’s phones to the 5800 number and E doesn’t pick up, it goes to E’s voice mail. Utterly useless for our guests. But: if you forward BR’s phones to the 4000 number the call center picks it up. So on Mondays, please forward the phones to the 4000.
FRONT DOOR
Also on Mondays we’ll need to block the front door, not just lock it. Cindy made us labeled blocking & unblocking cards, which are in the top drawer of the safe. So when we close: block the door, put blocking key back in safe, leave through front door. When we reopen: either enter through the kitchen with your master key or pick up a unblocking card from E. Ask me if this is confusing. I think it is.
PEER REVIEWS
Please don’t forget to submit your peer reviews & employee surveys by tomorrow (put in sealed envelope in E’s safe with Laura’s name on it). We will conduct employee reviews starting in a couple of weeks, yeah.
Also: VOTE!
I am Steffi, and I approve this message.
Dishes
The dishes in the back room, were dishes that Raquel and I thought may work for the breakfast service, after we received them Laura and I think they look to cheap, the bowls look like plastic. I will talk to Gerard today.
Elena, thanks for taking care of everything down there. I would like for you to turn the outside lights on at night and turn them off in the morning. That would be great! Thank you.
WALK INS
Here is what beautiful Laura says about walk ins on Sundays or Mondays: if a guest stays on a night we won’t be open the following morning, we will leave a light breakfast in the lobby fridge, inform the guest that there will be no counter service in the morning and give a $15 discount for the inconvenience. Then we’ll call Elena to lock the building after the guest checks out and leave a note for Olga to clean the room when we reopen. Makes sense?
PHONES
Elegant Elena forwarded the phones to E for the next 3 days. So when the 5800 number rings, please answer: “All kind of hotels with various names, this is…, how can I help you” Kidding, of course:)
CLOSED
We are officially closed all the doors are locked lights are all off for now, I will come up before I go down to the restaurant and turn on just the hall lights and maybe a couple of the lobby lights just so it doesn’t look so dead,
Laura do you want some of the outside lights on at night? I can come up in the morning and turn them off. I did a nice deep clean on everything swept behind the refrigerators and in the lobby to make it less enticing for mice or rats in the winter days we are closed.
I Put up a sign on the door saying we are closed and will re-open on Thursday, left the front desk cell on it too in case of emergencies, referred them up to Earth box while we are closed etc.
All heaters are off and the phones are forwarded to Earth box for now.
FIDALGO
The bedroom TV is doing the flickering again, microwave is not in use. I really think there is something wrong with the unit. I will confer with Seth tomorrow. Maybe we should send the unit back, what do you all think?
KEYS
Morgan & I remade all the keys with the new E cards. Elena, can you please switch the 4 which are out tomorrow? I’ll leave them on the desk.
DISHES IN LUGGAGE ROOM
What are they for? Where are they from? What do they want?
DEADBOLT BETWEEN LOPEZ & BAINBRIDGE
Our deadbolt key doesn’t open that door. Does anybody know how to open that?
MID WEEK CLOSING
Don’t forget the new office hours starting tomorrow. Please forward the phones (to Front Line or E, Cindy, Laura?), make sure the food (i.e. nothing on the counter) and the building is secured.
WALK INS
One thing we haven’t discussed at our meeting: if I had a walk-in tonight, wanting to stay 2 nights, at what point would we remain open, one deluxe room, 2 rooms?
PARKING
One of our guests got 3, I kid you not, 3 parking tickets today. He was so upset and rightfully so. I offered to split the cost with him, but he would prefer if we bought a sign for the front desk.
This is another one of those things we need to explain at check-in: the espresso makers, the earplugs, the remotes, the beds and the parking, every time. It is no fun to come back from a day out and about on our beautiful island and then see all those tickets on your car.
FLOWERS
Just a reminder: A bouquet of flowers costs $55 to our guests. Please charge accordingly and quote the correct price. I won’t charge the difference to our guests in the San Juan, just for the future.
PATOS
I don’t have a breakfast form for them (stay-over), was there one this morning?
CYPRESS
Has no I-pod radio and was hoping for one. Do we have spares? Can we order another one?
Gorgeous day out there. I love our red leaf maple and the weeping willow. It’s like autumn in pot.
BIKES
We had more usage this morning than normal which is why I realized we should probably be checking them more often for issues, we had a loose set of handle bars, flat tires etc. this morning. In fact one of our guests was nice enough that they bought something to tighten the handlebars with and left it for us to use in the future.
OUR STUFF
Our guest in the Orcas said she has really been enjoying our towels, linens, shampoos, etc. and wanted to know if they are for sale. I told her Steffi would be here later and that she could make up a list of what we carry and let her know if we could sell any of the products.
Rez. #1340345
Stayed with us and thinks she may have left something behind I have her number and am just waiting to hear back from housekeeping.
Thank you all for coming to the meeting. Your participation in these meetings is so vital to our organization. I really appreciate it. Not to mention what you do every single day…
I have a special thanks to Steffi and Cindy for holding down the fort this summer. You guys are champs!
Just a heads up to all.
I got a call from the call center last night that a lady had called in concerned for her friend (in the Lopez). Apparently she and her husband are having some very big marital problems and she had not answered her phone all day. Anyways I came up and knocked on their door and got no answer twice, so I ended up calling the friend back and she told me that the husband had left her here and that she had just talked to her friend, why did I write this long winded story? I had two breakfasts…slow and just in case she may want to leave a day early we all know why and can maybe not make this harder than it probably already is for her.
attention attention…the gardeners said that the flowers from the san juan balcony could use some water about every three or four days…while we still have stuff planted up there. and also there are some plants in the speiden on the little deck that are under the eve that do not get water as well. thanks!
LOTION STICKERS: I ordered new stickers and they will be a arriving in a week or so.
BLOG: I think why some comments are awaiting moderation is that whenever a new name is used, the system requires me to moderate the comment. So, an example would be how Elena wrote her name differently and Steffi put Esteffi. Just something to keep in mind… If you use the same name that you have always been using, it should work just fine. If not, please let me know.
seth came by and thinks that perhaps the tv flickers in the fidalgo when the microwave is on at the same time as the tv. also….no idea why the water did the thing it did. because….if there is no hot water in one room on the ground floor…there would be no hot water in all the rooms on the ground floor. they all feed off the same tank. the sink and the shower feed off the same tank (same pipes) as well.
FIDALGO FRONT ROOM TV
Several guests noticed flickering. Seth checked it out a week ago, no flickering. I checked it out today, no flickering. Does anybody have any idea what that could be?
July 30th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
BR FRONT DESK STAFF MEETING
I’m calling a long overdue staff meeting at Bird Rock this Monday, 8/2 at 2:30PM. Let’s sit down and talk about how things are going, find ways to improve our systems and alleviate our summer stress.
Please be there.
Until then: thank you all so much for steering the big white lady through her summer. I know I don’t say this enough, but all of you are rocking my world.
HEALTH INSPECTION
We had one today and Myah aced it (great job!!!!) Only thing wrong with us: some our food handler’s cards are expired. So Myah, Deb and Halley, go get yours within the next 2 weeks please.
LOST & FOUND
Camera mystery solved. Excellent job Brynn and Halley.
From now on: if a guest requests the return of an item, please fill out a lost & found request (by safe). Leave on the back desk for Olga and the girls, and also write in the guest’s WRP file what is missing, if it was found, if it was shipped and if the guest has been contacted. Use the alarms in WRP if a follow up is necessary.
Rock on!
July 30th, 2010 at 12:17 am
BUTTER
Been stowing the extra in the mini fridge, a bunch is there.
GRANOLA & SUGAR
Was going to call Tom to order more of both granola and sugar (white and brown) but forgot and now it’s kind of late. Want to call him Myah? Thanks!
SKIPJACK
I really think we should get a screen for the door, the guests can get really warm in there. Maybe we can find an aesthetically-pleasing one.
Hey, thought we were supposed to get the new dishwasher by now? I’m super excited for it.
July 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Never had a day like this before.The 8:00 Ferry Broken down, unhappy guest from the Lopez and a beautiful gal from Orcas had her car parked in front of herbs last night you guessed it, someone hit it and left no note.
Please remember when closing to restock everything on closing lists. This helps the morning girl when things go haywire. I need a massage really bad.
Debb
July 29th, 2010 at 12:11 am
Hey everybody!
We are nearly out of butter and half and half, wrote it on the white board in the kitchen. Also, the guests in the Lopez had me move their coffee table into our back room because they want to be able to leave the sofa bed out for their son. I had no idea where else to put it.
July 27th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Well, now we have more fruit than ever (10 bags of grapes!) so our fruit plates are going to be nice and bountiful for a while. I’ve stuck fruit in all the fridge drawers, don’t forget about them. Love when we have lots in our fridge! Still in desperate need of concentrate (oj and lemonade) but that should be here Thursday.
July 26th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
FRUIT
We had kind of a low supply this morning for being fully booked. Same with milk. Only strawberries, a small pack of blueberries, some (mostly unripe) kiwi, and oranges. I think we should always try to have a supply of melon and grapes, because they are popular and fill up the plate more. Had to send Olga to the store in the middle of breakfast (thanks Olga)! But a big order of fruit is coming in tomorrow.
Thanks all! Enjoy the beautiful days
July 25th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
DEBBIE, MYAH & HALLEY
Please read alarm in WRP regarding 2357624. Anybody know anything about this? Brynn, Lilly and I don’t. Please blog.
Thank you!
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 pm
SHEETS and F3
If guests want to know what the sheets are here, they are called Coyuchi and they are organic. You remember Laura’s little trick of hitting the F3 key and typing in any word you are looking for in the blog, like “sheets” and it will highlight it, and you can answer questions about stuf like that.
GREAT ATTITUDE
Not one complaint about the bar last night and I know it was loud. Attitude is everything! We have three time return guests here, who have experienced the fire alarm and Herb’s and LOVE it here!
EGG TRICK
I set a small plate inside the bowl to off-set the eggs from melting ice and it works really well, and looks good too. When it’s hot and the ice melts quickly, the eggs won’t be continually swimming, instead they are lounging deliciously on the plate, with the water below. Trick huh?
July 21st, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Hi there
I wanted to let you all know that I have ordered new I Home clock radio’s for the rooms that do not have them, they should be here in the next few weeks.
If the hose is leaking can you please call Island Garden’s and let them know 378-5161
I agree with Myah, let’s not put so much jam in the dish.. You can always refill
Are you locking up the bikes during the day, you should always have them locked so that your guests need to come in to get them unlocked and that way you can get a liability form. We can’t have those bikes cruising around unknown…
You are all doing a great job..
Thanks
July 21st, 2010 at 12:01 am
There seems to be a leak in one of the black hoses. It’s the one on the left if you’re walking to the sidewalk from here along the main path. Other than that, everything’s good.
July 18th, 2010 at 12:06 am
KEYS
Steffi made some new Shaw keys, and new masters. They are in the safe. The shaw keys are hanging up on their hook. The guests who were here 7/16 in the shaw may have taken them home. I called to leave msg with them, but phone mail box is full. Maybe try again?
JAM
Do you guys throw away a copious amount of jam every day? I wonder if we could make the jam dishes with less of the sweet sticky stuff, like a tablespoon full.
That’s it for now,
Myah
July 16th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
BACK DOOR KITCHEN
Deb and I put the new Back Door Kitchen menus in almost all rooms. Missing: Whidbey & Matia. The menus are by the calculator. Please put in guest directories and take Spring menu out.
Thank you.
SUMMER
There is so much going on this weekend: Shakespeare Festival on World Road, Lavender Festival at the lavender farm, summer street fair on Court St, Farmer’s Market from 10-1 on Saturday in the court parking lot. Fun, fun, fun. Let our lovely guests know!
July 15th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
MARKET CODE CHANGES:
Important changes guys. And when I say important, I mean it! This is super critical stuff for us to be able to track how people hear about us so that we can know where we need to advertise.
I have changed the market codes so that there are only 7 codes now. Please STUDY THEM CAREFULLY. If you have any questions ASK, ASK, ASK. I would much rather that you ask me about this stuff than just fill something in that is not correct.
When you study this list, you will see two NEW entries. One is X-direct online booking. Do not use this code…ever. This is automatically entered when people book directly online.
QUESTIONS? ASK!
July 15th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Hi this may be a short note, busy busy…
Guest, last name Matus, stayed here 7/9-7/12 has lost a pearl bracelet and a phone charger USB cable. If it turns up please call her so we can sed it back.
All is well and getting weller,
myahpapaya
July 13th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Brynn- You are so great!!! I get here and it’s spic and span and most of my prep is done! Above and beyond. Thank you!!!
July 13th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
NO PERSONAL COMPUTER USE!
Hi guys, I hope you’re all having a great summer. You are working so hard and I really appreciate it. Our computers are also working hard, and as you know, they are sometimes “freezing up”.
It has become clear that several of you are using the computers for personal use. I need to reiterate that this is absolutely NOT okay. When you use these computers for personal use, you are opening up our ENTIRE system to viruses. This costs us lots of money and can wreak havoc.
Please do NOT use the computers for personal use and do NOT erase the “history” in Firefox or Explorer. We absolutely need to see what websites have been visited so that we can track down where these viruses are coming from.
So, in summary, PLEASE treat these computers with the utmost respect and TLC. If you need to use a computer for any personal reasons, use the lobby computer (or the upstairs one at Bird Rock) during your breaks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Laura
July 12th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Juchu!
Going on my weekend now.
Don’t forget to bring the time cards up to Cindy and take the new schedule down to you guys.
Thank you, thank you!
July 12th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Cookie Recipe is back on the front of the fridge.Butter is thawing for next batch, we are going through everything with being sold out.
Many happy guests.
Olga did a super scrub on the kitchen floor,put on your sun glasses. She rocks.Nice to have the trade winds keeping us cool.
July 11th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
The cookie recipe has disappeared!! Anyone know where it ran off to?
July 11th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Hey Lilly,
we ran out of maps. Come up to EB or go to the visitor’s bureau and get some, please.
Happy day!
July 10th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Where do we keep extra SJI maps? We always seem to run out while I am working and I can never seem to find them!
July 10th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Garden is beautiful, deadheaded a few plants and watered everything including Spieden.
Good to go on Cookies also.
Bird Rock is looking pretty spiffy. Looks like there aren’t too many vacancies in town , Hope everyone has a great weekend.
July 9th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
That was AWESOME!!!!!!
My private violin concert turned into a concert for half the hotel. Her daughter did Irish dance to her songs, barefoot and in supertight pants. THANK YOU Herrault family. You made our day!
July 9th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
PETTY
Was off today. Thankfully I got a hold of Myah and figured out why. I need you guys to count the till every day, please.
LOBBY FRIDGE
Everything in there froze. I turned it up a bit. Please check tomorrow and adjust accordingly.
SHAW
Our lovely guests in the Shaw are sooooo warm. Laura, Cindy, didn’t we think about putting an air conditioner in that room?
COOKIES
We need some.
Thank you so much, Deb, for getting us some paper cups from EB. I ordered some more.
We have wonderful people staying here this weekend. Most are from hotter climates and find our heat wave refreshing. Wow.
Later tonight our guest in the Lopez, a professional musician, will give me a violin concert in the lobby. Can’t wait.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
BUTTER
There is lot’s and lot’s of butter in the little black fridge by the luggage room door.
REVIEW
Lilly, I know you put out an amazing breakfast. I didn’t hear back from the guest. And another guest posted a really nice review on Trip Advisor for the same weekend.
Well, maybe we should just make it very clear that we are there for our guests, in good and in bad times. Come tell us if something is wrong. Don’t leave angry.
You guys are amazing. Thank you all for your hard work.
July 8th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Hi everyone!
The guests in the Skipjack had an interesting idea and wanted me to pass it on. It’s a very warm night and their room has a door to the balcony but no window. They want to cool off the room and have the fan going but they also wanted to be able to open the door. I told them I thought this was fairly safe and would sleep with the door open if it were me but they felt weird about not having anything over the doorway to prevent peeping toms when the door is open. They suggest we get curtains overthe doorways…
Also, I can’t find any paper coffee cups.
July 7th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Hey Steffi–so I read the guest comment about the lack of breakfast, etc. I am very confused by this though….I was working the morning of the 4th and had everything out…a HUGE plate of fruit, cereal, eggs, toast, yogurt, juice, milk, and a ton of scones! (I made a ton extra of everything because I knew it would be busy!) I am very surprised that they would be complaining about the breakfast, it was definitely one of the nicest looking breakfasts I have made all year! Also, they never brought up any issues about noise or the jets not working in the tub. I’m kind of surprised by the comment they left..I wish that they could have brought up some of these issues with me as I felt I was available but unfortunately this is the first of their complaints I am hearing.
July 7th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Hi, Lopez jets are fine and dandy, turns out they just needed a twist is all. Yeah Seth.
Pretty smooth day lots of sunshine and lots of happy people.
July 5th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Aloha everyone, good to be back at the Bird Rock, thank you for all the kind words and support. Summer may have finally arrived this afternoon. Had the front door open unit it got dark.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Hey Bird Rocking ladies,
please read review and my response in guest comment blog on this site. Can anybody tell me a little more about this? Why was the breakfast cereal and eggs only? Did the guest let you know about the jets? Did you have other noise complaints that morning (morning of 7/4 I think)?
Well, a bad review is a learning experience to do better next time. Let’s make sure we let folks know that we have carafes available to take filtered water up to the rooms. And continue with your fabulous customer service.
Also: Cindy and Laura will be out of town for the rest of the week. If you need something or have an issue, please call me at home.
Rock on! Love you,
July 4th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
DISHWASHER
Can’t wait for the new one! I’ve been finding a lot of not-so-clean looking dishes and having to rewash them, so just a friendly reminder to make sure they look clean before putting them through a wash.
Thanks MAYA and LAURA for your sweet words of encouragement! Though we’re fully booked this weekend, it hasn’t felt too crazy here, probably because everyone is out enjoying the festivities. Happy Fourth to you all!
July 1st, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Happy July 1st to all you fabulous people.
This is just a little love note to tell you how amazing each and every one of you are and how much I appreciate everything you do every single day. Thank you.
Hang in there this weekend!
July 1st, 2010 at 10:18 am
LOVE YOU
Before I get too busy to blog, again, I just wanted to say how nice it is to work with this crew, this summer.
The new smart girls are so on top of it, and the guests just love you all, Halley, Brynn and Lilly!
The housekeeping staff is fast and friendly, and the guests often comment on how helpful they are, I just need to say it here before some minor crisis arises and takes presidence.
I miss Debbie like crazy, but she is back so let the fun begin. Trip advise-on!
Every crew need the boys, and we don’t want to know what we’d do with out Super Seth and brilliant and patient Morgan, who answers questions even if I asked him the same one a week ago. Love the boys.
None of this would work with out the amazing managerial scheduling skilled leadership of our dear Steffi. Steffi, thank you for all you do, it does not go unnoticed, just unpublished perhaps.
Now I feel like I’m saying my bedtime prayers and I don’t want to forget anyone, so god bless Laura and Cindy, and Raquel and everyone!
All this just before one of the busiest weekends of the summer. Exe’s & Oh’s
Myah papaya
June 29th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
I refunded the Marrowstone guests 50% because of the hot-tub problem and all of the distress it seemed to cause them…
If we sell the Bainbridge, Patos, Speiden, or Sucia for tonight and tomorrow night please email Cindy to let her know. We had a big cancellation #2238479 and we won’t charge the guy the full amount if we can resell some of the rooms.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:32 am
*MARROWSTONE JACUZZI*
The guests in the Marrowstone came in to complain at 10:45pm that the hot tub wouldn’t get hotter than 99 degrees. We tried the key and Seth even looked at it. It all looks fine and it is usually 100-102 degrees so it really isn’t very low but they aren’t happy. Seth did some tweeking which may work or not. If not, I have a feeling they’ll want some kind of refund.
June 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Yeah cookies. Thank you so much, Brynn.
I’ll bring the new schedule down in a little bit here. You will have some time with your sweety! Love, Love, Love!
Also: Maloulas Restaurant is now serving every day except of Wednesday. Oh yummy!
June 28th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Good idea, Steffi, to get some delicious cherries (and grapes and blueberries). Good fruit is pricey but it sure does make people happy about breakfast!
COOKIE DOUGH is made
June 27th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Thank God. Found the folks who had parked wrong, all is good:)
June 27th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
RED LEGACY OREGON PLATES
A guest asked me upon check in if it was o.k. to park right outside the hotel by the bench. I assumed they meant in a parking lot. But I just saw they are parked right on the street, which is not o.k. I don’t remember who it was, knocked on some doors to no avail.
Brynn, can you ask our breakfast guests who that might be? They will get a ticket. Make an announcement? It was a couple, in their 50ties?
COOKIE DOUGH
We need some. Please make some.
June 26th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
BIKES
We do not, under no circumstances, no exceptions, allow bikes in our rooms. One of us told our guests in the Fidalgo that it would be o.k. to bring them in the room. I will let them know that we will charge them if any damage occurs. But in the future, please make sure we are all on the same page on this.
FOOD
As Halley said, let’s order Monday and Wednesday from now on.
Thank you all for working so hard. Love ya.
June 25th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
HALLEY, thank you oh so much for getting me going on breakfast prep, you doll, you. And for leaving everything so clean and organized and being on top of it. AND for doing a big ole store run. You definitely possess goddess skillz
FIDALGO GUESTS
They are super nice, here for 5 nights. They brought a bike and I guess they were told that it is fine to keep it in the room, though I know it’s not. They said they chose the fidalgo because of the extra space for the bike, which is their “baby”. I told them that you would be working tomorrow afternoon, Steffi, and that you would be the one to talk to about it. For tonight I let them keep the bike in their room, as they were misinformed it seemed the best thing to do!
June 25th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
*FOOD*
Myah- Tom said he didn’t get either of our messages until late last night and was able to order everything but yogurt. WE ARE OUT OF YOGURT and he won’t be able to get it to us til next Saturday. I’m going to try and buy a case (or 3) from King’s. Also, Tom wants you to call him because he thinks we should place our orders no later than Wednesday in order to have them on time. As someone who hits the grocery store for something almost every mid-week closing shift, I agree
June 25th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
SHIPPING LOST ITEMS
We had a guest, who had forgotten a shirt. One of us shipped it back FedEx for $21. He wanted just regular mail for like $3. He was very angry. I refunded him the shipping cost. In the future please clarify how a guest wants their stuff sent back, cheap, fast, etc.
Thank you!
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Buenos Dias!
The guests in the Shaw were originally booked for the skipjack. Their booking was made by a travel agent who didn’t realize there were 3 people, one of whom is handicapped, so I moved them to the best thing we had available. I couldn’t find our futon so I think it must be in another room. I ran up to Earthbox and borrowed one, so the one in the Shaw has to go back there. Also, the plastic chair that is usually in the shower downstairs is in the Shaw shower because it’s easier for their handicapped party member to shower sitting down. I also shanghaied some paper from Earthbox, though not much.
BRYNN! You are a GODDESS. I worship you. The hotel was spotless and the cookie dough was already made when I came in, even though I was sure you wouldn’t have time to do it (I was planning on spending my afternoon making cookies, but I’m glad I didn’t have to
. How do you manage all that during the crazy breakfast shift? Must be your goddess skillz.
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Heya guys-
So, the paper towel dispenser in the kitchen is jammed and I can’t find the key to open it. It’s not where it used to be (in the drawer of keys in the safe) or hanging on any of the housekeeping key rings in back. Any ideas about where it may be, anyone? Also, the printer ran out of paper. I looked in both desks as well as the back room. The only paper I can find is the thick paper or the Birdrock letterhead paper, no regular printer paper. Is it just my eyes deceiving me or are we out?
June 20th, 2010 at 12:44 am
DESK CHAIR
The bolts keeping the arm rests in place seem to have popped out. I have sort of lodged the nail in there to keep it from jiggling around. I wrote a maintenance report for Seth.
MARROWSTONE GUESTS
Didn’t show up at closing, and had no number for me to reach them at. They got married today at Lakedale and were also having their reception, so I am assuming they will come late after all of the festivities. Organized a late check in.
June 19th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Goddesses!
Please see: 2275467. Whale watch tour booked for wrong month. We have to pay for this in full, no way around it. Please please pay attention, so we can spend our money on finer things than this.
Brain on, please!
June 18th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Also: surprise birthday cake in fridge is for folks in Whidbey. He will pick it up when he is ready to surprise her on Saturday.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Excellent, excellent cookies, gorgeous day, lovely people, ahhh summer…..
June 18th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
COOKIE DOUGH
Is made. Hopefully no frankenstein cookies this time! I painstakingly made sure I was doing everything right, so that shouldn’t be the case (hopefully)
SAN JUAN SUITE FLOWERS
They are STILL alive. How amazing. They are from nearly two weeks ago!
What a busy morning this was. Lots of happy people. Enjoy the sun everyone!
June 17th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Hello Birdrocking ladies!
COOKIE DOUGH
Brynn, can you please start a cookie dough as soon as you can tomorrow? We are all out, Frankenstein and everything. I left 4 uncooked eggs for project cookies!
SPA CONFIRMATIONS
From now on, the spa will call us to confirm our upcoming spa bookings the day before. I think that’s a great idea.
INK
needs to be ordered from Dell. We have 3 more cartridges in the upper right drawer of the back desk. If we run low on those, let one of the boss ladies know and we’ll order it.
COFFEE MATE
2 full boxes on shelf above egg cooker
RECYCLING
Needs to go to the curb on Sunday nights. If we forget or have too much, please call Seth.
Thank you all so much for your hard work, feeding hungry guests, rescuing cookies, cleaning the wine shelf. You are making this place what it is.
Much love, s
June 16th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
MYAH! Thank you SO much for resurrecting the cookie dough, that is amazing!! I loved your frankenstein cookie story, that is too funny.
June 16th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Steffi-
We are almost out of black printer ink. Do we order that from anyone special or just buy it at the office supply store?
Lilly-
The hotel looked great this afternoon! It was really nice to come into work after you were here. I’m glad everything went so well this morning. You rock!
June 16th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Hello Everyone-
So tonight’s shift has been really calm and pleasant. Only a few things of note. Firstly, I was stocking the coffee and tea area when I noticed I couldn’t find anymore Coffee Mate packets. Are they hidden in back somewhere or do we need to order more? Also, our recycling is overflowing. I’m not sure who we notify about this but I could take it to the dump if no one else can, just let me know.
Lastly, good luck on your first breakfast shift back solo Lilly! Everything’s ready and I think it will go just fine.
June 15th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Brynny boo boo-
Sooo, tonight we had some poor souls turn up looking for a room around 10:30pm. They had just gotten in from Colorado and hadn’t eaten dinner and everything was closed… so I fed them yogurt and cereal and toast. Which would be why there’s a few bowls missing from the breakfast line-up, but I added some of the guest use ones to the ones we usually use, cuz I don’t want to run the dishwasher for 5 measly bowls. If you need more in the morning just steal them from the cupboard in the lobby. Also, I had one of the Frankenstein cookies and it was DELICIOUS!!!
June 14th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
My cookie magicians, you guys are amazing.
Myah, you should write a Trip Advisor about your Morel 6 experience. How was the customer service? Did they have magic fingers?
June 13th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
FRANKENSTEIN COOKIES
During the heat of the day, on this particular phase of the moon, at precisely the right balance of higher energies, the cookie dough was revitalized, with bits and pieces of this and that, to become what is is today, a much self actualized version of it’s former self. This was a collaboration of creative juices flowing from the all mighty cookie diva in the sky. Brynn, you and Halley are still the cookie goddesses!
Brynn, thank you for covering for me while I grooved out to Crosby Stills and Nash last night. We stayed in a Motel 6, which was a humorous but kind of grodey experience. Meth dealers, the sound of the highway, and really terrible coffee could make up for the bad service. Definitely not the Bird Rock or the Earth Box!
All is quiet here.
June 13th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Just saw your last post Steffi, “Cookie Queen”, hah! Oh the sad irony. Well my last batch turned out ok. You live and you learn.
June 13th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
INTERNET
Ok, so it’s working now. For some reason, a program called Linksys Wireless Network Monitor popped up when I turned the computer on and it was asking me to update or reconnect or something, I don’t really remember but I clicked on something. Anyway, the internet wasn’t connecting. After unplugging and replugging cords and restarting the computer, I still couldn’t figure it out. Then I clicked on the icon for the Linksys program in the dock next to the wireless internet icon and it asked if I wanted to reconfigure something (I know, I’m really good with details, huh) so I just clicked yes, and lo and behold, the internet worked again! So that’s my exciting story. If this happens to anyone else, maybe you can do what I did.
COOKIE PROBLEM
Ummm…hmmm. I think I screwed up a little with this last batch of cookies (ok a lot), and I’m pretty sure it’s because I didn’t put enough flour in them. Though I’m not sure how since I don’t remember being distracted. Sigh. Anyway, they turn out flat and greasy and weird. I don’t know if the dough can be rescued. ARRGGHH!
Oh well, other than these little dilemmas, it’s been a good day. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!
June 13th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Good Morning Cookie Queen (thank you!),
can you write another maintenance request regarding the patio doors for Seth please?
June 12th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
SUCIA GUESTS
Can’t stop raving about Bird Rock! So I asked them to write about us on trip advisor (of course)..The guy is a photographer and he said the pictures on our website don’t do us justice. They were “very pleasantly surprised”. Hmmm, maybe we should think about getting some more shots?
UPSTAIRS PATIO LOCKS
It appears at least the second floor patio lock is not working, as I’m sure you have all noticed. I know Halley wrote a maintenance report for Seth but thought I would mention it on here again. I know it says not to deadbolt those doors, but I guess we have to?
COOKIE DOUGH
Made a big batch today, talk about a project! Mainly it’s scooping all the dough into little balls. Wouldn’t want to start that project too late in my shift.
Well, it’s been an amazingly beautiful day. Guests are out on the patio right now at 8:30 enjoying some wine.
June 12th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Hey Ladies of the Rock,
I’m just going through upcoming reservations and there are a bunch with questions and it’s not clear if those questions have been answered. Made alarms. Please call guests.
If you answered a guest question from the guest remark section, please note so in WRP. Thank you.
Continue to rock!
P.S. I reconciled $$$$ last night and it was perfecto (ooops, no Spanish at work:). Thank you!
June 12th, 2010 at 12:38 am
WHIDBEY GUESTS
made it. All is good:)
June 12th, 2010 at 12:21 am
WHIDBEY
Was a no-show at closing. Please ask Regino if they came on the last ferry. f not, call guest and see what’s up, then call spa immediately and cancel massage. Guest is charged.
1/2 & 1/2 THERMOSES
Both tops are broken. Maybe we can get a new one next time we go shopping?
Thank you for the flawless shift change today, Brynn. It is such a pleasure working after you:)
We have some exhausted guests tonight. Getting here was not half the fun for them, ferries….
Be kind and loving and feed them well.
June 10th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
DISHWASHER
BL (beautiful Laura) ordered us a new one, yeah!!!! It will be delivered and installed, the old one taken away by the good people of Sears on Monday, June 28. Hopefully not right during breakfast.
LILLY
Brynn, Lilly will stop by on Tuesday at 7:30 AM to get a visual on the breakfast prep, Halley and I (me not so much today, sorry) walked her through. Just so you know. Show her the chops!
HALLEY
That was an excellent job how you worked out the kayak tour date mix up and offered room service and everything. Great great job, happy happy guests. You are awesome.
MYAH
I can not believe you took the cheerios dust out of the bin. That is above and beyond, girl. Thanks also for cleaning the front desk. It needed it.
All of you rock the Rock. Thank you so much.
June 10th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Hi Guys-
So I just tried to post and somehow it disappeared so I’m re-writing this, UGH! Anyways, got the dishwasher thing figured out, it’s not that the door’s seal is off, it’s just that you have to really muscle it shut. It worked just fine today.
Also, the guests in the San Juan mentioned that it would be nice to have a small table or island to eat at since they have their own kitchen to cook in. I think they’re on to something…
Lastly, I know we use as much eco-friendly, organic, green stuff as we can and I wondered if we advertised this on our website? I think it’s a really attractive feature of ours and we should put it out there. Guests love that kind of thing, I know I do. Anyways, you guys rock. Keep on keepin on! (You can tell it’s late…)
-Halley
June 7th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I’m on it, the dishwasher. Thanks for not falling. We’ll find a better solution soon.
June 7th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Hello ladies!
Brynn- The guests in the San Juan don’t want a housekeeping tidy on 6/8/10.
Steffi- The dishwasher leak just keeps getting worse and worse. I slipped and almost dropped a bunch of glasses today while it was running because I was looking at the shelf and not my feet. It took me 4 towels to dry the floor and while it saved me mopping later I am worried that someone else will get hurt because of it. I wrote another maintenance slip but think it may be beyond Seth’s powers to fix.
Other than that, all’s well! Our courtyard is looking especially beautiful lately and we’re finally getting some beautiful sunny weather! Looking forward to summer.
Halley
June 7th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
SHAW TV
No trick. The coaxial cable was defective. Seth exchanged it. The second cable I thought was loose may be defective as well. If it is, then call Seth, he has a spare.
June 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
STEFFI
Awe, Steffi, thanks for the encouragement! Yes, yesterday had it’s share of adventures, but really it turned out fine in the end, and the guests were really cool about everything.
TRIP ADVISER
Yay, what a nice review we just got! I still need to work on remembering to slip in the whole go-on-trip-adviser spiel.
SHAW TV
So it works now? What’s the secret?
BLOG
Obviously I have now just caught on to the practicality of separating every idea with it’s own heading…makes it much easier to read. Smart people at Bird Rock/Earthbox
June 7th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
STEFFI
Awe, Steffi, thanks for the encouragement! Yes, yesterday had it’s share of adventures, but really it turned out fine in the end, and the guests were really cool about everything.
TRIP ADVISER
Yay, what a nice review we just got! I still need to work on remembering to slip in the whole go-on-trip-adviser spiel.
SHAW TV
So it works now? What’s the secret?
BLOG
Obviously I have now just caught on to the practicality of separating every idea with it’s own heading…makes it much easier to read. Smart people at Bird Rock/Earthbox
June 7th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
SHAW TV
Is fixed. If the TV cuts out again, call Seth, he says: “It’s a quick fix.”
June 7th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
BRYNN
Was a Rockstar last night. You, gorgeous woman, had your trial by fire: TV not working, fire place not working, locked yourself out. There will be one more test: the fire alarm going off, but once you get through this nothing, and I mean nothing can mess with your cool:)
MYAH, HALLEY, BRYNN
Thank you so much for your hard work. You are holding the ship down just as we want you to. Your excellent customer service, meticulous attention to detail and your ‘just get it done’ attitude is what makes this the fabulous hotel it is. Thank you!
June 6th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
SHAW
The TV is acting funny, cuts out, etc. I think the 2nd cable is loose. Blocked room out until Friday. You may rent it at a discount without TV privileges for $99 per night.
Brynn moved current guests to different room, please make sure Shaw gets cleaned. Please make sure to call Seth and tell him about TV problem.
June 5th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Morning all! This is your friendly neighborhood shift coverer.
Just a couple of things.
- I hope Tom is scheduled to drop of food tomorrow otherwise you will need to go shopping for Sunday. I am sure you will be fine for Saturday breakfast.
- The Matia was supposed to have two twin beds but it wasn’t set up. Not knowing how to do that nor where the twin sheets are, I gave on of the gentlemen the Sucia for the night. He knows he will have to move back on Sat. Please tell housekeeping about the change.
Welp that’s about it. I hope Steffi is feeling better. Take it easy!
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:49 am
Myah!
Thanks for your sweet words. Me likey positive reinforcement. I hope tomorrow it looks good too. Your words inspired me to extra-tidy.
Another slow and peaceful night here at Birdrock. I’ll see you all next week.
love,
Halley
June 2nd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Halley: You Rock the Rock! The hotel was shining clean and well stocked this morning. What a treat to wake up the this! You are a doll-face!
The co-op order has been picked up, thanks to Seth the wonder-guy!! What a great team!
I am enjoying the new play list here, I wonder if Zoe is adding her favs. That girl is into music too.
I solved a mystery today. You know how these new high-end bikes have the hardest looking seats ever? I always wonder how people put up with that, especially long distance. Well, I noticed today that they wear pants “with pads built in!!!!” (not that i was looking) Isn’t that amazing? Butt pants! Who knew?
The new girl in housekeeping is sweet and focused. I hope she makes friends here this summer. She told me she is studying accounting at University…yea girl.
Enough for now, I will keep you reprized if I notice any new mysteries solved. There are so many.
Ya
June 1st, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Hi Morgan and all the lovely ladies at Birdrock!
It’s been smooth sailing this afternoon so I’ve been doing some stocking and cleaning. I noticed that our dishwasher leaks and creates a puddle under it and the counter whenever we run it. The door may not seal properly. I wrote a slip for Seth. Also, we have only 1 can of rolled oats left. Do we order more from FSA or Tom? Same with white sugar. I poured the last 25 lb bag into the sugar bucket, so we no longer have an extra stock back there. Other than that, nothing of note. You guys are super cool. Rock on!
-Halley
May 30th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
DAILY CHECK LIST
Ladies of the Rock, please continue to use the daily check lists. Sign, date and put in my box after your shift. I printed some more (also in my box).
BED & BREAKFAST.COM
We DO NOT participate in any bed & breakfast.com promotion. The only gift certificates we take are the ones issued by us. This is important. We don’t get our money otherwise.
May 29th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
WEDNESDAY MYAH COOP BODY CARE
Myah, will you please pick up a very large body care product order from the food coop on Wednesday. call Seth and have him help you with the truck or the van. Anna from the coop will call you when the order arrives (between 11 and 2). If you don’t here from her by shift end, will you go over there anyway and look for the order, please?
It’s prepaid, so you don’t have to worry about the $$$$$.
Thank you so much.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS
Keep our gorgeous Bird Rock lady clean. Not that you aren’t, but I’m picky:)
Wipe down the front of the cabinets (kitchen and lobby), dust the glass shelf, clean fridges and microwave, wipe down coffee pots and granola bins and please please double check dishes before you put them away. Dishes need to be pre-washed before they go in the dishwasher.
Check out the deep cleaning schedule on the fridge and go at it, uiiiiee!
WHEN RAQUEL CALLS
to ask how many check outs and stay-overs we have the next day, go to tomorrow’s date, go to check-outs and read that number to her, go to check-ins with stays and read her the number of stay-overs. This is really important, she schedules according to what we tell her and when we (and we do) give her the wrong info, she schedules either not enough or too many housekeepers.
WRP
Please go through upcoming reservations when you have a second. Make sure we didn’t miss a massage add-on or a request for something special. Found a bunch today again.
EMAILS
Please file emails after you dealt with them.
PHONE MESSAGES
Please erase phone messages after you dealt with them.
I think that’s all I had to nag about:)
Summer Season 2010 here we come! I love my crew! Together we are strong!
May 28th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Also, we’ve got a bunch more island maps, including some Orcas maps.
Western Prince called to let us know that they are all booked up for their noon trips this weekend, but they are offering 4pm trips just for this weekend and there are many spaces still available.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
The couple in the San Juan really enjoyed their stay (and plan to write on Trip Advisor, yay!). They said their meal at Coho is one of the best they have ever had. They had just a few small suggestions: that the top window in the San Juan get some sort of window treatment because a lot of light comes in in the morning. They also thought the fridge was noisy, but understood there may not be much we can do about it. They were really nice.
Myah- I made a bunch of cookie dough last week, so you might be referring to my batch (I hope!). I followed the recipe except I didn’t put in any granola and about half as many oats. The dough seemed quite buttery and sticky to me, but I put in the amount of butter and flour, etc. that it called for, so who knows? Maybe the fact that they were more dough-y is the secret to their plumpy-ness
May 27th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
The HoneyMooners in Marrowstone are the cutest couple ever. They went to Duck Soup for their last night, Lucky devils.
The peonies from Rolph even are fragrant. I need to get some pink ones in my garden.
Just want to say what a pleasure it is to work with everyone here at the Bird Rock, Seth never complains and the laughter around here is totally contagious.
Good night ,see you Saturday.
May 27th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
I have noticed the email delay as well. Have call in to Chris….
May 27th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
FOOD
Ordered food for Sat. We got cheerios, melon, cranberries coffee and grapes today. If we need more fruit call Tom on friday.
It’s all shiney here, and people are happy HAPPY to be here.
=^^= myah
May 26th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
HI guys-
There seems to be a delay on our email. I’ve been receiving emails hours after they’re send time the last 2 evenings. I don’t know how to fix this. Has anyone else noticed this delay? Also, the guests in the Marrowstone were having trouble with their wifi. Other than that, all is well.
-halley
May 24th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
A Bird Rock guest just stopped by here at Earthbox and told me the Marrowstone hot tub is broken? Really? Info please!
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Uh oh, I had taken the schedule to copy it last week and found it in the copier today, sorry.
Thanks for all the helpful hints from you all, stuff like unirez and other octopuses are easier to deal with when there is a good map to follow.
WED or THURS the 2nd or 3rd?
Does anyone want one of these days? I have a big fat final due on Friday and I could use one of the days to study. let me know, 379 3668 or skydog@rockisland.com,
muchos gracias
Whoever it is that is making cookies, is doing a really great job, they turn out so perfectly round and plumpy! What is the secret? Thank you little cookie elf, who ever you are.
We have a big family here who is so happy to be here at the BR, they just love it.
That’s all I know,
Myah
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
You guys crack me up. Well, better 2 wonderful women showing up to work than none, right?
KEYS
Morgan (the Rock!) brought us a gazillion new magnetic keys. I redid all our keys except the ones which are in our guest’s hands. Myah Papaya, tomorrow, when guests give their keys back, slide them in the front door. If they blink green they are functioning. Hang them up. If they blink red or not at all, take one of the keys Morgan made out of the safe, slap a room label on it and throw the old magnetic card out.
SCHEDULE
Next week’s schedule was missing. NOT o.k. If you take it down to make a copy, please hang it back up. Morgan brought us a copy, so all is good now.
REGINO
I made his bed, now he has to lay in it. Ha. Can you please remind the girls to change the sheets on Friday morning, so R has a clean bed to sleep in? He can’t do things like that right now with his arm.
Busy busy day at the Brrrrrr. Don’t forget to order food next Monday and Thursday. I started lists on the white board.
May 22nd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Haha, what a hilarious post. Sorry about the mix-up Deb (that was Deb posting, not Steffie…oh what a day it is already). Hey, the suns out!
No one’s claimed those strappy heels yet. I’m going to assume that they will be sleeping in today
Big food delivery coming today, we definitely need it.
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:15 am
Must of been some fun in the hotel last night a beautiful pair of high heels in next to the couch…Another beautiful day here here comes Brynne I think I read the schedule wrong. oops.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:47 pm
SAN JUAN TRANSIT
is up and running starting tomorrow. Please let our car-less guests know. Their schedule is by the maps.
GARBAGE
Seth took all our garbage away. Go Seth!
Thank you, Deb for the Walla Walla Sweet Onion babies. Together we Myah’s seeds I will be hopping! Thank you Thank you!
May 21st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Oops, accidentally posted under Debbie’s name, that was me!
May 21st, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Lots of phone calls coming in, many trips being planned! Summer must be coming…though it doesn’t look much like it at the moment.
Here’s to hoping the sun makes it’s presence known on a more regular basis!
May 20th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Just a friendly reminder to you all,
When processing a UNIREZ reservation MAKE SURE you go into the EDIT screen to lock the room type. If you notice, when a reservation comes in you will see in the room section it says “Room: U.” That means unassigned. UNIREZ reservations have this NASTY PROBLEM of making a reservation for a room but not actually taking the room out of availability. You fix that by going into the reservation’s EDIT screen and simply saving it. Easy as pie. Everything falls into place properly. If you fail to do this there is a possibility that the room could be overbooked by another reservation.
PS Please make sure you are checking the “New Section” for any alarms that might need to be taken care of. Clear out any old ones and old UNIREZ reservation alerts.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!
May 19th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Windy as heck and a bit chilly too. Steffi there are some walla walla sweets here for you. Need to be planted soon.
Good day to all. Good night….
May 18th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Everything is fine and dandy here, Morgan just brought us Champagne, ordered gallon baggies and napkins from Gerard.
Sun is back with us and the door is open. Vegas sure sounds like fun.
May 17th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Hello my beautiful Birdrocking Ladies and our rock Morgan,
Checking in to let you know that Cindy and Laura are out of town all this week. Give me a call if you have any issues.
The new schedule is made and is up here at EB. I asked Morgan and Stephanie to bring it down tomorrow. Look closely at the opening hours: starting on May 28 we close at 11PM. Summer, here we come!
May 16th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Wow what beautiful day. It is 8:00 and I still have the front door open,uhlala.Love it !! Lots of nice folks in and out all day.
May 15th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Hey and thanks to whoever got us more of those really good maps!
May 15th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Hey Steffi,
No problem! It’s great that we’re busy. And thanks so much for coming in so I could take a break…and for doing breakfast prep, making cookies, and your beautiful lemonade (seriously, it’s so beautiful).
People in the Marrowstone complained that their tv over the gas stove has a strange coloring and the volume was really low, even though all the buttons on the controller work. Any tips?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Brynn
May 14th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Busy, busy, busy, yeah!
Brynn, my double shift rockstar, have a great shift! Thank you so much for your help.
Call me when you need a break. The lady in the NEW section never called back. I canceled the reservation.
May 14th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Hi All!
Just thought it was about time I get in the habit of blogging, so here is my first post
I’ve been having a lot of fun working here at Bird Rock so far, such nice people coming through all the time. I love to hear their effusive compliments about the hotel and the island.
Thanks again Myah for sharpening the knives, they have really helped with speeding along breakfast in the morning.
I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone here and at Earthbox. You are all so nice.
Hope everyone is able to enjoy the sunshine!
Brynn
May 13th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
ALARM
Guardian was here today and checked all the alarms, and gave is the AOK.
Seth is putting in a new toilet in the Marrowstone in the next couple of days. This is good.
It is so dang gorgeous out today, and all the guests are happy.
Have a great weekend,
MYah
May 12th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Hello everyone-
We have almost filled every one of the trash bins out back. Morgan told me to put 1 out on Monday for pick up and that someone else would take care of the rest? Whoever that is, we need their help stat! Other than that, you are all wonderful. Have fun!
- Halley
May 12th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
MAPS
Call chamber of commerce this friday to see if they have maps yet. We may be able to get some from one of the real estate offices.
Raquel came in and showed me how to touch up the chairs and tables to fix any scratches. She is very clever. They also got a good dusting while I was down there.
KNIVES
I sharpened the big ones so be careful. I’m going to get us a paring knife soon, hopefully today.
All is well,
Myah
May 11th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Halley and Brynn,
Thank you for covering for me lately, I really appreciate you. I hope I can return the favor soon. Remember, any of you can always call me in a pinch and I will be here to help anyway I can.
Peace,
Myah
May 11th, 2010 at 11:55 am
What a great crew we have this summer, love the new girls!!!
Night shift remember to restock fruit and bread for the morning person as it is getting too busy to run to the store.
xoxox myah
May 8th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Lovely day at the Rock! Thank you, wonderful guests, for sharing your joy with us.
ORCAS
Complained about cold water when showering. I checked everything, looks fine to me. Please ask guest if the problem occurred again.
Have a great morning, Brynn. See you at 1.
May 7th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
CASH BOX
As of today we will count our cash box twice per day. Once in the morning, once in the evening. Cash reconciliation sheet is in cash box. Please add this to your daily duties.
Thank you.
May 7th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Thank you so much, Halley, for being the prepping queen. The place looks great, we have lovely folks staying here and the sun makes everybody smile.
May 6th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
This will be long. Bear with me:)
SCHEDULE
Sweet Deb needs to leave. I changed the schedule. Please all have a look and make sure you know when you work.
FOOD ORDER
Here is how we will do it:
1) when you notice we are out of something, you write it on the white board.
2) When you order food, write next to the ordered item when it will be here, then circle the entire order and write: ordered, today’s date, your initials
CASH PAYMENTS
Brynn, when you have a cash payment, got to
1) credit card symbol
2) other form of payment
3) hit cash
4) hit process payement
MATIA
Please make extra double triple sure to write the bed constellation in the house keeping notes every time we got or you make a reservation for the Matia.
CHECK IN RECEIPTS
Go in the little folder behind you on the back desk, not in the safe.
LOST & FOUND
There are little lost and found forms above the stereo, fill one out, if a guest inquires about a lost item, and give it to Olga or Socco in the morning.
EMAILS & PHONE MESSAGES
Please file emails and delete phone messages once you have dealt with them.
TOMORROW
Halley, if you have time, please go to Post San Juan and bring the lost sweater back and mail the gift certificate on the desk.
MOTHER’S DAY
Downriggers, Place, Back Door Kitchen are open for dinner.
Bluff is doing a brunch, so is Duck Soup.
May 6th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
MARROWSTONE
The control nob was left in the hot tub and it was turned all the way off so the tub is cold. Dwight turned it back on so it should be fine by Friday.
The nob is in the super secret place…you know.shhhh
FOOD
We got part of the order, and the dairy is coming on Sat.
NEWSPAPERS
Our guests are loving the morning papers, especially the USA today.
May 5th, 2010 at 10:45 am
INTERNET
If the internet connection goes down, unplug a bunch of stuff in the router. Chris ever so lovingly labeled all the wirey thingys, so we know where to plug them back in. Anyway, wait for a few minutes before you reconnect the plugs, and then it should come back on.
All is well,
Myah
May 2nd, 2010 at 7:23 pm
If anybody wants an extra day of this week, give Brynn a call. She is fully trained at BR and not on the schedule yet.
Happy week, everybody!
May 1st, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Hey,
I learned yesterday from an educated man that “tony”, as in the Sunset Article “Tony Bird Rock Hotel” means something like “marvelous” in British. Mhm.
Deb, can I ask you a weird favor: can you bring a handful of coffee filters (for the big coffee maker) up to Earthbox when you come to the party, please? We are totally out.
Tell everybody about our Fiesta Mexicana, from 3-6, authentic Mexican cuisine (whole pig boiled in oil over open flame, oh yeah), folk dance, free massages, grand opening of Johnny’s Organic Juice Bar at the Earthbox pool patio.
Myah, come up for a bite to eat, yes?
April 30th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
MARROWSTONE HOT TUB
I turned it down a bit because our guests in there just found out they are pregnant, yeah!!!
Please turn it back up on Sunday.
See you all at the party tomorrow:)
April 29th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
CONFIRM ADD-ONS
Please confirm whale watch tours, massages etc. with guests. Twice today somebody called wanting to make sure that they can still get a massage or a whale watch and it was all booked already, but the guest didn’t know.
SUMMER PRICES
We here at Bird Rock are not as generous with discounts during the high season as we are at Earthbox. We have 15 rooms and we usually sell them all. So if a guest really would like a room a little cheaper, send em up to Earthbox, but please don’t undersell our rooms in the summer.
Here is what you can do to spoil our guests:
- Upgrade the guest to a nicer room upon arrival.
- Throw in an extra person at no charge.
- Be nice and friendly and go out of your way to make their stay memorable.
Thank you.
April 29th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
HOT TUB
Dwight says all systems go. Tell guests to please not adjust the temp. It is preset to the right temp.The cover will need to be replaced soon as it is looking shabby, also the eventually the thermostat unit will need to be replaced as well as the buttons are sticking.
GOOD TO BE HOME
yes it is. My friends were on the plane that was landed for a bomb threat you may have heard about on CNN, lucky ducks, they get all the excitement!
FLOORS
They are so shiny!
April 26th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Una mas:
I overnighted us some more printer ink (6 black, 2 color). Please blog when it comes so I can sleep.
Uhh, wind is picking up, it’s blowing all the blossoms of our pretty pink trees.
April 26th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
UNIREZ RESERVATIONS
I updated our unirez listings so guests can’t book the simple rooms for more than 2 adults/children. Please let me know if we get another overbooking for those rooms.
ROOM RATES MAY
I will adjust the pricing for May to have off season rates through May Mo-Su (some rooms had the weekend prices at the summer rates already).
MARROWSTONE HOT TUB
Is good to go. Please check temperature every morning and notify Seth immediately if the temperature drops again. You can unblock the room.
Have a great week everybody!
April 25th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
MARROWSTONE HOT TUB
Stopped working last night. Dwight from Spa Pro walked me through resetting it. I will check it later today. Seth will check it tomorrow and then we’ll go from there. The room is blocked out until Wednesday.
MORGAN
If you and Halley have time will you please create a sheet with all the current adventure provider’s prices (Maya’s prices went up, for example). Also: will you two update the restaurant folder. Thank you.
April 24th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
INTERNET
Firefox keeps crashing. Explorer works o.k., but slow (doesn’t update WRP). Chris T. will be in early next week and wipe our computer. Please blog when he does that and then we should be back in business.
INK
We are running low on printer ink. I ordered it weeks ago, but it’s on back order. So please only print when it’s necessary (don’t stock us up on forms and vouchers etc.)
SCHEDULE
Next week’s schedule looks like a piece or art, with all the changes and everything. Brynn will train with Deb and Morgan and will work Halley’s first shift together with her (I figure between the 2 of them, they can figure out anything). Good luck, girls!
Also: please order food on Monday and again on Thursday.
Don’t forget to bring 2 garbage cans to the curb on Monday and Thursday night.
Happy crisp but sunny weekend!
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 pm
WELCOME BRYNN
We have a new front desk staff: Brynn. Welcome to the team! We’ll train Brynn at BR and later cross train her.
Deb, Brynn will be your breakfast helper on Sunday. Show her the chops!
Oh, the new email works sweet. Thank you for prepping so well for me today, Morgan.
April 19th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Computer Updates:
- Thunderbird is now our email program of choice. It has a “learning spam filter” built in. It tends to catch most everything but if you get an email that you know is spam, just hit the spam button at the top and it will get rid of it. Otherwise it pretty much acts just the same as Outlook Express just with a slightly different “look.”
- A pretty gnarly virus was causing most of our internet problems. The virus pretty much attacks Firefox only. Chris thinks he has it all under control but time will tell. Continue to use Firefox as normally but let Chris know if it does anything wonky. If you ever have problems with Firefox, switch to Internet Explorer. It is strangely not affected by this virus.
- For the time being we will continue to use the wifi so please remember not to unplug the antenna.
April 19th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thank you to Raquel, Our floors are beautiful. That was the first thing I noticed this morning. Sounds like Airports may be opening back up in England and Germany by Wednesday.
Computer hasn’t given me any problems yet today. I knocking on wood.
Debbie
April 18th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
INTERNET
Is weird. Chris T. will stop by tomorrow morning and fix it. Deb, will you please let him know that in addition to the issues discussed, Morgan thinks that our ethernet card died (see “I make the internet” contraption).
We have a wonderful family from England staying with us. They are stranded here because of the volcano in Iceland, wow. I hope Miss Myah Papaya gets to come back….
April 17th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Mornin!
Guest #2219877 has a spa voucher in the folder waiting for her. She should be by to get it in the morning.
Guest #2209453 was a no show at closing. The room is paid for by the card on file. They are moving to #2136232 on Sunday. Please let housekeeping know. Guests know that they may not be able to get into the room immediately.
April 17th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Sorry guys, for taking the phone home. Silly me. Regino has it now.
Uh, Germans! I brought some Kinderschokolade from my aunt’s care package to EB. Check it out! It’s the best.
Happy day.
April 16th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Steffi, Sent you some folks from Germany tonight, Seems you offer a special up there on weekends ? Any ways you will get a kick out of them. I teased them cuz they said they would come here for breaky I said no deal you must stay here he he.
I am bummed it is raining cuz I washed my car. Rain Rain go away…Good Night.
April 16th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Almost got us 2 small boys today. I asked our guests why not stay a little longer and they said they have to get back, but we could have their kids. But then they decided to take them home after all. Ha,ha.
Another guest hadn’t been on a bike since a bad accident 20 years ago. And she did Pear Point Loop on our bikes! Yeah! I’m so proud of her.
Soco’s English is getting so good. We talked about the economic situation in El Salvador today. Is that cool or what?
I love Spring.
April 15th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
MARROWSTONE
Dwight fixed the hot tub, yeah!
The Place looks great. Thanks Deb and Morgan (love the “I make the internet” sign). And smells great, ah, I love this time of the year, lilac time…
April 14th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Mornin all
The Ethernet card built into the computer may have died. The internet stopped working and the computer would occasionally crash. We have currently set up a wireless adapter to connect to the internet. You shouldn’t have to worry about anything. It should automatically connect when you start up the computer. Chris will be back from his trip near the end of the week. He will come take a look at our problem after that.
Let me know if you have any problems before then. I can try and do what I can until he returns.
April 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Good Day, We have guests from France, Sweden and Canada. Wow lovely to meet all these folks..
Kitchen is in tip top shape, Miss Olga gave Morgan a Hand.
Must say it sure is nice to have Seth on the property , very happy and friendly….
Miss Maya is on her way to Spain, we will miss her.Ok enough gabbing for today.
Aloha
April 12th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
MARROWSTONE
Heating element is ordered. As soon as it gets here Dwight will install it. Hopefully before our Friday check in. Room is blocked out until then.
April 10th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
MARROWSTONE
You guys, the hot tub is out of order in there and will be for another week according to Seth and nobody told me. I checked in guests, have guests tomorrow. The room wasn’t blocked out. Please make sure we communicate better in the future. Luckily our guests were understanding, but what if it was summer and we wouldn’t have another room?
MONDAY
Please bring the forgotten items in the back room to Post San Juan on Monday.
EMAIL
Please file emails you have taken care of.
UPCOMING RESERVATIONS
Please go through upcoming reservations and make sure we didn’t overlook a massage or whale watch request. I found a bunch.
KITCHEN
Morgan and Deb, will you spend some extra time in the kitchen next week and deep clean, so we are ready for Spring? I did underneath the counter with the kitchen aid on it. Can you clean the shelves above please?
Thank you for all your hard work.
April 8th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Jeepers it is Bloody cold, Pretty mellow evening here at the Bird, even have left over cookies.
I think instead of Lemonade we should be serving hot cider.
April 7th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Hello, Hot Tub is down for a short while.Seth is handling it. Poor folks only had water up to their ankles last night.
Man oh live it is crazy weather today…Very busy day hard to believe it is 3:30 already. Rolp called and no flower delivery tomorrow as the weather is too rough, next week for sure.
And that’s all for now folks.
Deb
April 5th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Hi all!
Just a reminder. Please only take a 10% deposit on UNIREZ reservation. Not the full amount like it wants you to. Just manually delete the last number and move the decimal place over one. ok?
That way when people cancel, like they are wont to do, we aren’t seeing these huge refunds happening on the books. Plus if you look at the UNIREZ gobbledygook at the bottom of reservations it will actually say we only take the 10% at reservation and 100% if they cancel within 10 days of the arrival date. THANKS!!!
April 4th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
DEBBIE WEDNESDAY FOOD COOP
Hey Deb, I ordered 3 gallons of hair conditioner and 3 gallons of shower gel from the food coop. They will call you when the delivery gets there on Wednesday. Could you go up to Earthbox, grab a check from Cindy and go to the coop and pick it up, please? Thank you.
April 4th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
VIRUS
Uh, we had a virus on the computer. Chris T. fixed it and all is good. Our data is (and was) save, but it seriously messed with our ability to go on the web. So for the future: if a window pops up and tells you that the computer is in trouble, that we contracted a virus, that our firewall is down, click the red X of the pop up window and close it, DON’T click on anything else (like: remove virus, etc.). That IS the virus and it gets going if you click on anything else. Our real anti virus software never ever pops up a window.
Had a lovely Easter morning here at the Rock. The weather calmed down, our guests were wonderful, good day.
April 3rd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Looks like snow in the courtyard, what a hail storm we had. Pretty quiet but we have plenty of groceries to hold us over no matter what happens, Maya made cookies too. Wanted to dye some eggs today but not enough time.
Hope everyone had a nice cozy Easter Weekend.
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:15 pm
NEAT TRICK
To change room rate, for say, 3 days of a special and the web site will not adjust it automatically, this is what you do… call Morgan. No, do this instead:
1. go to the edit screen
2. go to section 5 rate change
3. go to the rate change box, and add the year, the month and the day divided by a slash and add the rate per day you want..
Example: 2010/04/06, 78.50
2010/04/07, 99.00
This will give you the power to tell the system what to do! I guess it must be in this format with the slashes and commas for it to work.
…or call Morgan.
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:34 am
Good Morning, 2 bowls we had for yogurt and eggs where dropped by me last week, they were replaced the 2 large ones,.They are too big though Sorry.
The wind is calming down thankfully.That’s it for now my scones are done.
April 1st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Thank you, Myah, for preparing everything so wonderfully for me this morning. And thank you for providing me with a steady stream of reading material. I’m reading “The spirit catches you and you fall down” right now. Fabulous.
Morning Debbie,
will you please make a pot of decaf for our guests in the Lopez?
If my note to my German student is still on the desk tomorrow (I don’t know if she got my message) can you please put the note and the German comic in the luggage room?
Thank you for picking up the pieces on the schedule, you rock my world!
And last but not least, thank you so much, Laura, for giving me a ride to work today. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you.
I noticed the amazing dish disappearance myself. Mhm.
Have a great day, everybody. I hope they don’t mean it with the coming storm.
March 30th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
BUTTER DISHES?
We seem to missing an array of dishes, bowls, plates and little dishes for butter and jam. We could also use some regular size carafs for water if they are available.
TAXI
San Juan Taxi and tour came by with info on good deals for ride to the west side for 20.00 per van load, and they will take bike sand kayaks for an additional fee.
MAPS
Chamber of commerce says we should be getting the 2010 maps soon, but we can pick up some 2009 to tide us over from them.
COMPUTER
Chris T. came by to speedy up the ‘puter. Seems better.
WHEW!
Well it’s the slower part of a busy morning with a wedding, late check out, early check ins, and guests who were too happy to say goodbye. I had to run them out or they would have missed the ferry. We also got a visit from Laura, which is always a welcome surprise.
See you back here tomorrow,
Myah
March 30th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
I miss you guys already!!! I cant wait to see you guys again! You all really made the trip so much better and Maya….bird rock is on facebook!!
March 28th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Hulluu!
There is an email in our inbox without name or content. If you click on it it crashes the email. Chris T. knows about. Don’t touch it.
Does anybody know what happened to our bowls? The 2 we always use for eggs and yogurt disappeared and 4 huge ones appeared, we can’t really use. Raquel doesn’t know, neither does Myah or I, anybody?
I’m also missing printer ink. Ordered 3, can’t find them.
Ordered coffee and scone mix.
I’m gonna miss Jackie and her family. We had a blast over the last 3 days. Morgan, she will be the one who will try to give you a glass of wine even though you are at work:)
We had wonderful guests this weekend, thank you so much for visiting us. Your joy of being here is contagious.
March 27th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
This is the best hotel for girlfriends to gather we have 5 gals that are having a blast,celebrating their friends up coming wedding.The conversation was so great in the lobby that they hung out from 8:00- 11:30.Barely got the floors done for Ms. Steffi. Lots of great energy, Until next time ….
Much Aloha
Debbie
March 25th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I copied the fire alarm info and taped it up by the alarm box.
Such good instructions! Seth was here checking everything fire-alarmy and it all looks good.
March 24th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
It is so warm I had the front door open this afternoon. Yipeee. One late check in,Elana’s husband is aware .
Going to See Cisco Morris at the High School tonight he is a hoot and a very good gardener.Until Saturday Aloha
Debbie
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Wow what a day !!! Very busy, 2 Batches of Cookies I will try to make some more tomorrow. I’m not even eating any.
Maya I love the key arrangement thank you so much.We have one late check in and I let Elaina’s husband know.
I love this Hotel, and am proud to be a part of it.
Thanks to all the Gals.
Debbie
March 21st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Hey!
Monday is Chris’s birthday! Friday was Olga’s!
Pieces and Aries woman !!!
Happy birthday to ya!
March 21st, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Hey!!
Steffi’s birthday is Tuesday the 23rd!
Let’s dance,
sing,
prance…
hold out our arms to the sky goddesses,
throw back our heads
and give thanks for the blessing and wonder
of Steffi!
March 21st, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Today Myah and Salud organized the key holder. Today we put it alphabetical it was fun. Now the keys are easy to find.
By Salud
March 21st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Today Myah and Salud organized the key holder. Today we put it alphbetical it was fun. Now the keys are easy to find.
By Salud
March 20th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Great Morning crowd, Everyone is so pleased to be here.Groceries are put away everything is humming here.Say Sunday I put some cash underneath the keyboard it was a tip for the housekeepers ? It is for Socca and Olga.
Picked up some more maps they also are low but expecting the new ones soon. That’s about all for now.
March 19th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
FIRE ALARM
Today we got a new panel for our fire alarm. The fire chief came over, did a walk through and explained how to handle the situation when the alarm goes off:
1) look on panel where the fire alarm originated
2) go to that area and check if there is a fire
3) if there is a fire, evacuate the building and wait for the fire department
4) if there isn’t, press “acknowledge” then “silence” on the panel and wait for the fire department
5) the fire department will re-set the alarm if it was false
Gorgeous day, we are sold out, even though I was almost an hour early Deb left the place spotless and well stocked, what a pleasure. Thanks, Deb!
March 10th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
GLUTEN FREE
Thank you so much, Morgan, for baking a delicious cake for our gluten intolerant guest. She loved it. Our guest who aren’t gluten intolerant loved it too. You rock!
SAN JUAN
Orosco and I cleaned the San Juan today. Boy, she is a harsh teacher. Had me put those pillow cases on right over and over again. Thanks Orosco, for showing me the ropes. That was great fun.
Lovely day here, phones are ringing, flowers are blooming, guests are smiling. That’s all we need.
March 7th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
How does one get a smiley face on her note Steffi ?
Hotel is sparkling clean, ready for the folks to arrive.
Kept myself moving today because it is Chilly….Dancing up a storm just kidding. Ok guys see you next Sunday.
March 7th, 2010 at 11:59 am
BUSINESS CARDS
We have more business cards on the shelf above the safe. Please have a look.
ROOM TIDY
Morgan, on Mo and Tue would you please tidy the San Juan (make bed, replace towels if applicable, replace coffee, soaps, etc.)? Please give Raquel a call if you have 700 walk-ins and need housekeeping help.
Happy week, everybody. Make the sun come back out!
March 6th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Good Evening, Just used the last Bird Rock Business cards. Might need to reorder.
Everyone is out for the evening , Back door sounds good to me right now and its great to offer the room service.
Had a few call in for reservations tonight,great specials.
Thats all for tonight!!!!
Debb
March 6th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
FOOD
We got a big load of juice and butter fruit etc. And it’s mostly all put away.
The fruit is all washed and the grapes are already cut into small bunchies. I turned all the berries upside down to keep them fresher.(upside down in their packages, not individually).
Everything is sparkly and fresh and ready for people!
It’s gonna be a great season! You guys make me want to come to work.
Till next time,
Myah
March 5th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
ROOM SERVICE
I put Back Door Kitchen menus in almost all our guest directories in the rooms. Myah or Deb, can you please put a menu in the directories of the San Juan, Marrowstone, Bainbridge, Saltspring and Whidbey tomorrow, please?
So as of right this minute we offer room service from their Back Door Kitchen during their regular business hours: Thursdays through Sundays 5PM to 9PM.
Here is how it works:
Write guest confirmation number on Back Door invoice and put in safe with other invoices.
1) Guest calls back Door Kitchen and orders food.
2) Back Door calls us and asks for a pick up.
3) We go to Back Door and pick up the food.
4) We add the food bill plus 15% to our guest’s invoice.
5) We put food on tray with plates, napkins, silverware and invoice and bring it to guest’s door.
6) We have guest sign invoice and wish him a happy meal.
7) We charge guest’s card or make change if they paid cash.
Ask me if you have any questions.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
SPECIALS SPECIALS SPECIALS
Hey Sweeties,
I updated our specials as follows:
PEACE
We give $10 to Habitat for Humanity when you book a room at regular rate…will continue through May, 31, 2010.
LOVE
Book a room at regular rate and we’ll take $20 off any Lavendera spa treatment… will continue through May 31, 2010. Remember: you have to manually adjust the spa treatment rate.
HAPPINESS
Book a Superior or Standard room for one night, get the second night free…continues every day through March 31, 2010. And continues Sundays through Thursdays through May 31, 2010.
Ask me if you have any questions. Rock on!
February 28th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Hello All, Just to let you know I did write a long blog last sunday detailing events of Myah’s adventures and mine regarding the fire alarm issues and others but I am not sure what happened to it. I thought I saw it posted but maybe got lost. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I did not slack off on my blog duties. Looks like all has been sorted out and no alarms going off this morning. Touch wood! Lots of young and hip couples in this weekend (lots of piercings!) all very nice and saying they had a great time, that happiness special is well named Steffi!
February 26th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
TIME CLOCK
Chris T. fixed the time clock, so please clock in and out again BUT also fill out a time card for this pay period until we are extra double super sure everything works correctly.
FIRE ALARM
is fixed, yeah. Guardian needs to put a new control panel in. Please blog if that happens during your shift. I want to know. Thank you.
SOY MILK
I put some soy milk in the lobby fridge. Our guests in the San Juan are vegan. They know it’s there. It’s for all guests. Just to let you know.
Felix turno, Senora Myah!!!
February 21st, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Welcome to July weather. And sold out Sat night, feels like July there too. Myah had a rather busy morning here so I am blogging for her and me. Such power!
First off, she said many comments regarding how warm the hotel is. What a nice change in the middle of winter. Maybe I will turn the thermostats down to 65 rather than 70. Girls are opening doors and putting on fans during the day. Yep, thats right, it is february. Myah came in this morning to the firealarm going off and guests in the lobby. What a welcome! Elena had come up and was disabling the alarm, then all the fire guys came and did the sweep through. It was on the main floor and ended up in the Speiden. No fire. The lady in the Spieden said the bed was the most comfortable she had ever slept in and she did not budge throughout the three checks they did in that room, she was just too cozy!. Fire chief instructed us NOT to disarm alarm until we had checked all the rooms. OY VEY!
Maya kept breakfast hopping through all this and everyone OK with it. What a woman!
Bikes, getting plenty of issues. Brakes on #5 in bad shape and others looking a little worn out. I think they need some shelter! A little worse for weather wear.
Cleaning girls all doing a sterling job here as usual. There was a check out out of the Whidbey but no reservation on the books for them. Am I confused?
February 20th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Sold out at the Bird Rock Hotel. Happy guests and a few have gone to dinner at the Back Door Kitchen it re opened Friday night.
Can’t believe what beautiful weather we are having I think it is here to stay. See you guys in March.Going to the coast for gooey ducks.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
RATES
Chris and Deb asked when our room rates change:
Starting May 1 we will have summer rates on Fri & Sat and off season rates mid week.
Starting on May 28 our summer rates will be in effect every day until October 1.
EMAIL
Please file emails you dealt with, so the person working after you is not wondering.
WHIDBEY
Our guests, who checked out of the Whidbey today think they forgot something. See note for Olga in back. Will you call them either way, Myah? They are still on the island and only brought the one…
What a fantastic day. I can’t believe this weather. I was sitting on my porch this morning, in a sweatshirt, in February and I was too WARM!
Happy weekend.
February 18th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
WONDERFUL BOSS LADIES
Cindy will be back next Thursday. Laura will be back the week of March 1. Please let people know and ask if I can help them with anything. If you need me call me, no matter where you are, no matter how far, just call my name …… well, it probably works better if you call my phone.
February 18th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
FOOD
Hey ladies. I ordered fruit for Saturday. If there is anything we need before Sat or other than fruit, please run to the store. Or walk leisurely.
February 16th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
HAPPINESS
I had some questions from guests about booking the happiness special online. The online rates for the happiness special are a nightly average rate. As in: the Bainbridge Suite costs $257 plus tax per night. That’s the regular rate. If you book the happiness special, it costs $257 the first night and $0 the second, making the nightly average rate $128.50. One of our guests thought is costs $128.50 the first night and the second is free. Please make sure to explain this correctly and quote the correct price. Ask me if you have questions.
February 14th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Hi,
I just checked the temp in the Lopez and it is hot and steamy in the shower and the sink! Hot Hot Hot
I will take the recycle out tonight.
It’s great to be here, it feels so good to be part of this place. I actually missed it, and especially the people and You.
Everyone is happy and out for the evening. Love is all around. hugs and kisses,
Myah
February 13th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Just spoke to BL (beautiful Laura). Please check the hot water in the Lopez tomorrow and blog about temperature. Check it again on Monday and blog about how hot (or not) it was. Laura will then determine what to do next.
February 13th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Pfffhhh, what a night. O.K. so this is going to be long, bear with me.
Bad news first:
LOPEZ
Around 6PM we ran out of hot water. It seemed like the entire hotel. I called Seth, yanked him away from his dinner (thank you, Seth, you are such a Sweety) and he determined that all the water heaters are working just fine. I asked our guests in the Lopez to wait a little. After a while the hot water came back (probably the entire hotel was taking tubs at the same time). But the Lopez Suite remained without hot water. Our guests were really upset (understandably so). They came here for the tub, they wanted a nice room and I had nowhere to put them. I called around the island, but all the nicer rooms were booked. Finally they just wanted to leave. I felt so bad.
In the middle of all this, Miss Myah called and all I could say was: “We don’t have hot water, I gotta go.” Myah then called Deb and asked if her husband could come check it out. Oh sweet Myah, thank you. Anyway, I called Myah back, she told me that Pete is on his way. I asked her to please call him and cancel. I hope she reached him.
So, we seem to have a problem in the Lopez. I blocked out the room for the next 4 days and asked Laura to call a plumber on Monday.
Have you guys ever had an issue with the Lopez water before? I haven’t.
Deb, please make sure, that Olga and Socco clean the Lopez tomorrow.
MARROWSTONE
Our guests checking into the Marrowstone tomorrow ordered some flowers from SJ Florist. Please put in room, before they arrive. They paid the florist directly.
RACK CARDS
I printed rack cards with the correct rates, so no more guessing. They have 3 rates: spring, summer & fall. I also added how many persons each room sleeps.
RECYCLING
Myah, can you please put the recycling on the curb tomorrow night? Welcome back to work, gorgeous.
CROWS
I counted 64 crows on top of the whale museum today. Those garden destroying rascals.
Other than the poor folks in the Lopez everybody is super sweet and happy. Please forgive us, Lopez guests. Happy VD everybody:)
February 13th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Great morning The love is in the air…
Vinny’s has a few reservations left for Valentines Day….378-1934…
February 12th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
GUEST DIRECTORIES
Yes, we did! We finally have our super cool looking guest directories in our rooms. Please check them out, so you know what our guests see and can refer to the directory if somebody has questions.
Note: it mentions room service from the Back Door Kitchen. Back Door will be closed until 2/19/10. Then, if somebody wants room service, they will call Back Door and order.
Back Door will call us and we’ll pick it up.
We will charge the amount plus 15% to the guest’s invoice, put the food on a tray with plates, silverware, etc. and bring it to their door. Yeah!
February 11th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
F3
Please know that we don’t expect you to remember everything we blog about, you just have to know how to find it: press F3 to search the blog for keywords. Having said that:
We have new and exciting Spring specials (2/15 -3/31/10).
PEACE
Book a room at regular rate and we’ll donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity to build shelter for our fellow islanders in Haiti.
All you need to do is select that special if a guest wishes to. The boss ladies will tally and donate. IMPORTANT: do not select that special if you give a guest a discount.
LOVE
$20 off any Lavendera Day Spa treatment if you book a room at regular rate.
Book room, book spa treatment of guest’s choice as you would in any other case. IMPORTANT: manually take $20 off spa charge, NOT room charge. We will pay spa their regular
rate.
HAPPINESS
Book a superior or standard room at regular rate, get the 2nd night free. Yes, free.
IMPORTANT: in WRP the room price is simply half off the regular rate. This price is ONLY good if a guest books 2 nights (or more).
Ask me if you have any questions.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:52 am
DEB – FRIDAY
Good afternoon! Can you please clean the lobby windows and the front door before our big weekend of love?
Thank you. Have a great shift.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Top of the morning, Steffi, Gillian just left and wanted to say good bye to you . Nice entry back into the Hotel, Lots of nice folks and yummy fruit for this time of year.
Everyone is checked out…Closing up the Sweet Bird Rock…See you on the February 12th.
Deb D.
February 6th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Morning Debbie!
Welcome back. On the desk please find today’s closing and next week’s opening list and the signs for the door, that we are closed. Call me at EB if you have any questions.
FOOD
I ordered food for Friday 2/12 delivery.
Happy week everybody.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
What a gorgeous day to open our precious. The sun shining, the flowers blooming, the crows digging the freshly planted flowers out of the planters and throwing them on the sidewalk. What?
Yeah, yesterday, when I brought groceries, all the new flowers laid sadly on the patio. I called Island Garden. They came promptly and said it looked to them like deer. Deer? On First Street? Well, then I was sitting here and about 8 crows flew in and started undoing Island Garden’s work. I’m not sure what they are looking for. They don’t eat the flowers, they just throw them out of the planter and then dig. Mhm. Island Garden will look up what repels crows (Mr. Esspike?). Until then, run out and clap your hands.
RATE SHEET
Our rate sheet (the white guys) are from last year. Our prices went up $10 once the summer rate starts. Please make sure you quote the correct price. The boss ladies are working on the correct rate sheet.
BIKES
Our guests in the Spieden have their bikes looked up with ours. Please unlock them when they want to go on their rides.
FOOD HANDLER’S CARDS
The county has a new system set up where you can just take the test on a computer. Info on pinboard in the back. Make sure your food handler’s card is current. If it isn’t, please update. We pay for it.
TIME CARDS
I will bring more time cards when I get to work tomorrow.
February 4th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
COFFEE
Did you know that San Juan Coffee, which we serve in both of our hotel lobby’s is fair trade and organically grown by small family farms. They are so small that they can’t afford the organic certification, but it’s ethically, environmentally and taste bud wise excellent coffee.
VALENTINE’S
Is just around the corner. Remember last year when there was not a seat in any restaurant to be had? Let our guests know to make dinner reservations early. Here’s what’s open:
Vinnie’s – special menu
COHO – set menu, $35 per person
BLUFF – special menu
McMillan’s – regular menu + set menu for $45 per person
Downriggers – set menu
January 29th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
PILLOWS
After extensive research, Cindy found out who we get our pillows from: Down Inc 800.552.9231
The pillow is the Upside of Down pillow~ 80% White Duck Feathers and 20% down. Next time a guest asks, we’ll know. Thanks, Cindy.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
CHRISTMAS TERMINATORS
Myah, Seth, Regino and I were the Christmas terminators today, all gone! Thanks for your help, guys.
MORGAN
Morning! I printed out the closing sign and list for you. Please see second page of closing list for extra special duties. Call me if you have questions or issues.
GARBAGE
Laura and Cindy, what shall we do with the remaining garbage and recycling down here? Maybe we should not have it sitting here for a month?
Happy time off everybody. I will make the February schedule in the last week of January. Call me at home if you have special scheduling requests for the first 2 weeks. I’ll call all of you and let you know when you are back on.
Thanks for a fabulous season and all your hard work. Love you all.
January 1st, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Awake, I am Awake!( have not yet been to bed..)
All is well here again. We had a ton of fun with the two, 2 year olds for breakfast this morning. I was thinking about how much fun it would be to run a kid only hotel!!! Kids and pets, no grown ups.
I will get back to you on that idea.
So, our time is coming to an end for a bit of a respite, and I want to let you all know how much fun I have had here at the BR. You all are really wonderful to work with/for, and I hope I can do it again.
so, love many
trust a few,
but learn to paddle your own canoe,
peace, Myah
December 31st, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Good Morning Myah!
Myah?
Are you awake?
Myah? Hello?
Just kidding:)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!
Flowers and champagne are in luggage room for tomorrow’s check-in.
Please remember to file emails away once you have taken care of them. We don’t want to miss anything, but we also don’t want to answer the same question twice.
Have a fun blue moon night.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hi guys and gals, Pretty quiet here today, even called Morgan to have a chat. Took down the garland around the front desk and door as it was very dry.Hope everyone has a good New Year Celebration and I look forward to 2010. CHEERS !!!!
December 28th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
STEALING CHRISTMAS
Alright, it’s official. On Saturday 1/2/10 we will take the Christmas decoration down in the lobby. Please put everything neatly away in the boxes in the back. Seth will remove the tree that day as well.
December 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
ICE ICE BABY
Please make sure to salt our patio and the sidewalk around our building. Salt is in the storage shed on the patio where the hot tub chemicals are as well.
SAN JUAN
I chatted with our guest today about visiting Orcas Island and I think she thinks she is checking out Tuesday. We only have her on the books until tomorrow. Will you clarify with her, Chris?
GARBAGE
Please make sure to bring 2 garbage cans to the street on Monday and on Thursday.
NEW YEARS
Here is the action to be had in FH: The Bluff and COHO are serving dinner, The Bluff has live music after 9PM, the Front Street Ale House is serving dinner until 10PM, then it’s a party with games, live music and even, wait for it…. noise makers, oh yeah!
CALLS
I got 3 inquiries for January reservations today. I told them to please come back some other time:(
Boy, that is chilly tonight. Drive slow everybody.
December 27th, 2009 at 11:35 am
The roads were really icy this morning, but who can complain it is so beautiful,just drive slow. Say I will get our pan back It was loaned out to our guest in the San Juan.
Everyone is sleeping in this morning and my scones are getting cold…Butter is thawing and cookies will be made.
December 26th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
PRICE CHECK
Just a reminder: our Romance Package is $175 ($75 dining credit,$30 champagne, $55 flowers, $15 chocolates).
Whale Watching with Capt. Maya is $79 per person.
Please remember those. When we bill our guests for a third party add-on we’ll lose money if you quote an incorrect price.
EGG POT
Where is our egg cooking pot? There is a tiny pot with no lid, which doesn’t really do the job. Anybody?
DEB-COOKIE DOUGH
Debbie, can you start a cookie dough tomorrow or if you are too busy, please put a butter out, so it’s room temp when I get there. Great idea on the egg nog. Our guests are loving it.
CINDY – LAURA – CHRISTMAS DECO
When would you like us to take the decorations down? Our tree and greenery is getting dry and I would like to have the hotel all ready in case we open for that group in January.
Last week, everybody. I won’t order any more food. Please run to the store if you need something. Don’t over purchase.
Pleasant weekend everybody.
December 25th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
MERRY CHRISTMAS, Awesome day here at the Bird Rock. Although not too much selection for dinner tonight on the island. Coho one cancellation at 7:00 and Port Vino said she would take folks just in case they didnt get a meal. Anyways I have a date with Santa so Love to all and Have a good night.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Merry Christmas!!
Check notes today, there is a romance pkg for the 25th.
some remote check ins, and I gotta go, call me if you need anything…zxooxoxoxox love you all
Myah
December 21st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
CHECK-INS CHRISTMAS
Myah and Morgan, will you please call all our check-ins for 12/24 and 12/25 and let them know our opening hours? Please write in the guest comment section that you called and what our guests said. Thank you.
SETH
Will be leaving for Alaska tomorrow and will be gone for a week. Please call Cindy or I for maintenance issues. If it’s something minor, call Regino or DIY.
Happy beginning of Winter, everybody. Shortest day – check, and onward.
December 20th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Hey Deb, Chris called, she will work your 1/1/10 shift, yeah!
December 19th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Cheers,It so smells like Christmas @ The Bird Rock Hotel and I love it. Say I didn’t know we were open on January 01,I am scheduled 2;00-9;30 but had made plans to go skiing anyone need a shift ? Please let me know ASAP. Thanks Debbie
December 18th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Oh, it’s good to be open, yeah!
SAN JUAN
Myah’s friend in the San Juan put some gifts in the back room. She will wrap them tomorrow. Have her do that in an open room on the ground floor if possible.
FOOD
I will order food on Sunday for Tuesday. Please run to the store if we need something until then.
PAYCHECKS
Oh lovely boss ladies. Thank you so much for the lovely handcrafted paychecks, cards, candy and everything. You are the very bestest there is.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Steffi and Daniel are my new superheros. What is their special power you may ask… Carrying wood. Yes, they saved this soon-to-be fire-starved woman. The dynamic duo brought and stacked an entire load of beautiful rounds under my deck yesterday. What a wonderful treat to come home to. Thank you for saving my back side!
December 13th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Yipee it is snowing, I love it with the Christmas lights on . Let it snow !!let it snow!! Hope everyone has a great Day.
December 12th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
TOMORROW PARTEEEEEEEEEEE
Yeah! Bring a dish and a gift and your jolly spirit. I’m so looking forward to hanging out with all of you all at once.
Thanks, Deb, for making cookie dough. It got raving reviews by our guests. Call Morgan if you have any problems with closing.
DINING CREDITS
Just a reminder: we currently only give dining credits to the following restaurants: Back Door Kitchen (closes on 12/19 for the season), Duck Soup Inn (currently closed until Spring), COHO, The Place & The Bluff.
Very pleasant night here at the Bird Rock, wonderful people, good conversation, even my feet are warm.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Hi all, Happy all-the-days, if you say that with a bit of an English accent is sounds like “holidays”.
The hotel was a cold maiden today, it took awhile for her to heat up. The San Juan was very fridged and the heaters I put up there kept tripping the breaker. Also, I understand that some our thermostats read backwards, but we still must push the little do-hicky thing up regardless of the numbers, right?
I made an impromtu wine and flower welcome gift from a mom of a guest. I used our cash and have her card number just don’t know how to charge her for it. It was for the folks staying in the spieden room on 12/11, but it’s a surprise so don’t charge the guests. We’ll talk.
Shannon came by to tend the dead flowers pots today. It looks so empty compared to the summer. Maybe we can decorate it up somehow.
Happy Birthday Debbie on Monday! I hope all your wishes come true.
See you later,
Myah
December 11th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
RAQUEL
Is off tomorrow. Please call Regino or I if you have any issues.
FIGGY PUDDING
Oh man, you guys need to hit up Myah for some of her figgy pudding she made. I’m not into Christmassy caky things, but that was so tasty, I just gobbled down the whole thing. Thanks M.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Hi Guys,
Long time, me no post.
I just wanted to give you guys a heads up for the busy season. I know, at this point, you’re wondering what busy season, that seems like so far away. But it will come again and when it does, we will need to refer to other properties.
Among the other great properties to whom we refer, I would like you to consider referring our guests to the Friday Harbor Suites when we are sold out. They will be referring back to us as well. Their units are quite lovely and they have water views. They are located above the Golden Triangle. Check out their website at http://www.sanjuanislandsuites.com and if you have time call them to see them up close and personal. Their telephone number is 317-6423.
These folks will be coming by to take a closer look at our properties as well. Please be your normal gracious selves.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Ladies,
we got ourselves a decorated Christmas tree! Uh, it smells so good in here. I asked several guests to tell me the bitter truth, does it look tasteful or not. They said it did. But ultimately we need the eyes of BL (Beautiful Laura) to determine if it’s Bird Rock worthy.
Please remember to water the tree and unplug all indoor Christmas deco before you leave for the night.
MAYA’S CHARTERS
Capt. Maya asked to please ask our guests if they have a car. He took 2 of our guests out today, picked them up and drove them back here(for free, because we didn’t let them know he would charge $20) and it turned out they had their car with them and could have driven out to Snug Harbor.
Wind is picking up again, but the sun will stay for another week, yeah!
December 4th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Tim Dustrude, the photographer is coming to take pix of the hotel sat. night at around 7ish. He is a really great guy and talented too.
December 4th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
INVALID CREDIT CARD
WRP has a new trick or tick, rather. Whenever you edit a reservation and save, it gives you the “invalid cc” error. It’s lying. The credit cards aren’t invalid. All you need to do is select what credit card type you got (visa, master, amex) and it lets you save.
December 4th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Hi Everyone, Tis really good to be home and delightful to be at Windermere last night and see Bird Rock all lite up with Christmas lights. Good job.
Guest will be arriving some time today and Maya and I will have a few more decorations up, Tree tomorrow
Yipee….
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
SCHEDULE
We made some changes to next week’s schedule. I will put them up on Saturday. Debbie, make sure to have me show you the opening and closing lists, because you are it next week. Welcome back. We missed you.
November 30th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Hello wonderful ones!
LIGHTS
Elena will turn off the Christmas lights at night during her nightly walk-through. All we need to do is to turn them on around 4PM every day. San Juan only if the room is empty.
LIDS
There is a whole box of lids on top of the fridge.
HEAT
Raquel will bring us space heaters on Thursday, for the front desk and in case one of our guests is not snuggely enough.
See you all soon. Missed you too:)
November 28th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
DO NOT DISTURB
We all agree that those little signs are useful for guests needing privacy and to insure safety and dignity of the housekeepers. Do we have some?
Stickers
Housekeeping needs “lotion” stickers. This may be something Laura has in her computer?
Lids
for coffee to go? We are out of them unless there is a secret stash.
Heater?
It’s is pretty cold here at the front desk, is there a little heater we can run so our hands don’t freeze? Maybe some heaters for guest rooms?
Steffi
Welcome back! I hope you had a relaxing get away. I missed you!
November 26th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Hope everyone had a great turkey day. All quiet and calm here. The guys set up the outside Christmas lights and there are four locations where we need to unplug in the mid morning and turn back on around 4PM. Outside the kitchen door, by the guest computer, outside the marrtowstone suite and inside the San juan. This will not work very well tho unless the room is empty as the balcony door needs to remain cracked and cord run into the kitchen, not doable with a guest checked in, OK if it is empty. Do these lights want to remain on the whole time we are closed midweek? Please have the powers that be let us know. Maya, guest moved from Lopez to Fidalgo, see notes in res, so the lopez needs to be cleaned on Friday for the new booking that is now coming in on FRiday. Plenty of fruit for Fri and prob sat, maybe not sunday. I guess just buy enough to get through since we will be closed next week. Also coffee order tomorrow (were closed today) Late check in to San Juan last night came after I left so have not spoken with them in person, but room was prepaid as a gift.
Call me Myah is you have questions.
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
MORGAN SUNDAY 11/29
We will be closing the hotel on Sunday, 11/29. Dani will make breakfast for our guests and wish them farewell. Morgan, would you go down to Bird Rock and help Dani close the hotel that day, please? Alternately if you can’t get away, walk her through it, then go down there at shift change and do a final walk through. Thank you so much.
November 21st, 2009 at 5:41 pm
BED & BREAKFAST.COM
This is really important: we do NOT participate in their promotions. We do NOT accept their gift cards. As a matter of fact the only gift certificates we accept are issued by us. The only specials we have are created by Adam and listed on our website.
So if somebody asks us to honor a special from the B&B.com site, we don’t participate. If a guests makes a reservation with a gift certificate, make sure it was issued by us.
Thank you.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Uh, what a storm last night. Thank you, Chris, for preparing flash lights and communicating with our guests who were stranded on the mainland. You are the best.
BAINBRIDGE
Is dirty for tomorrow. Please let HK know.
SALTSPRING
Had 2 inches of water in entrance way when Chris opened today. It’s gone now, but we should keep an eye on water pooling there.
MARROWSTONE
Fire place stopped working. I called Vanderyacht and they fixed it just in time for our guests to snuggle up in front while the winds are picking up again.
ROOF SHINGLES
We lost some last night. Lets keep our eyes out for leaks the next time it pours (ah, in 20 minutes?).
Alright November, we got it, you are here.
November 14th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
KEYS
We are low on some room keys. Please let’s write again in the guest comment section how many keys we give each party upon check-in and let our guests know that a lost key will incur a $50 surcharge.
Also, Chris, the labeler is right behind you on the back desk, the little Brother thingy.
THE LAST OF SUMMER
Picked the last rose from our patio today, which is filling the lobby with its lovely smell . Ate the last of Chris’ delicious, firm Roma tomatoes (thank you for sharing your bounty). Had the last sip of Laura’s homemade apple cider (never tasted anything sweeter). Today was the last day the food co-op door will open with the old code, so if you haven’t renewed yet, do it soon.
And that concludes officially our summer.
Don’t forget to upgrade our lovely guests whenever possible. Nothing nicer than to snuggle up in a two person jetted tub and a cup of hot coco when the winds howl outside, your belly is full of a lovingly prepared island grown meal from Back Door Kitchen or COHO and all your worries are, for the moment at least, an ocean away.
November 14th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Alls swell here, everyone tucked in and cozy and happy so far. Maya or Steffi, the family in bainbridge need to turn in their voucher or GC or whatever, really nice folks who came in a little late. Bike #10 has a bent rear wheel so don’t give it out. I left a maintenance request. Couple in Fidalgo here for the weekend have signed their waiver and will probably bike again tomorrow. Left the GC on desk for steffi to mail, need a little sticker for the certificate. Speiden keys really low, was going to attach a card to the last one but unable to find the lable maker. Had to dump all the half and half unfortunately, but it was on sale next door tonight. Clear out fruit over the weekend and I can restock next week when I open on Wednesday if you like!
Have a great day….
November 12th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Morning Chris,
I have the coffee and hot water air pot here at Earthbox. We needed it for a meeting in the conference center. I’ll bring them back down tomorrow, shortly after you open.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Hotel is sparkling clean for you Chris on Friday the 13th. What a beautiful day even if it chilly. See you all in December. Much Aloha.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Morning Debbie,
The dishes in the dishwasher are clean. I judged my time incorrectly and the machine wasn’t yet done washing by closing. Sorry about making you unload them. Pretty slow night even though there were a fair amount of phone calls.
See you in the pm.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
WEDNESDAY CLOSURE
Hey Deb & Morgan. Will you two go over the hotel closing procedures on Tuesday, so Debbie feels comfortable doing it on Wednesday, please? Print out the closing list and the sign for the front door. And please go over the blocking & locking of the door. There are blocking cards in the safe (have a B on them). Please call Cindy if you guys have any questions. Raquel will do a final walk through after HK is finished cleaning the rooms on Wednesday.
20 YEARS
20 years ago today the wall came down. I was having dinner at a friend’s place not even a half a mile from the wall. We didn’t hear until the next morning when we walked outside. The entire city was pulsing. Everybody was laughing or crying or both, mostly both. The famously unfriendly Berliners all hugging each other and sharing their liquor. One of the most amazing days of my life.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Never mind. Raquel just called. Socco will be here Monday. No tidy for you.
Happy day.
November 8th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Morning Chris,
Please tidy the Marrowstone today. Don’t worry about the check outs, I blocked out the rooms and Olga will clean them on Tuesday.
Have a fabulous day!
November 7th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Hi Guys, Another nice evening here, Lots of fun folks in ..Chris have a great day…
See you on Tuesday.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Hello wonderful Bird Rocking Ladies!
Next week: guest starring MORGAN as: the guy!
ROOM STAYOVERS – OFF SEASON
The boss ladies decided when there is only one room staying over not to call in Housekeepers. Instead us, the front desk, will tidy the room. Here is how this works: Raquel will call the night before to see how many rooms we have. If it’s only one, she will instruct the night person to blog about that one room needing a tidy by a front desk person.
In the next week Raquel will show each of us how it’s done. Questions? Ask Raquel and I.
POWER OUTAGE
If we ever have a power outage and therefore can’t use the computer, we won’t know in which rooms to check in guests. So during the stormy season, please print today’s check in receipts in the morning (go to Check ins, on the upper right corner of the page is a button saying “Print Day’s PDF Receipts”. Hit it.
Also in case of no internet or power outage: call Laura. Between her lap top and her phone she most likely can access our reservation system.
WHEN RAQUEL CALLS AT NIGHT
What she wants to know is how many rooms are checking out and staying over the following day. She is not getting the correct info from us, which is frustrating for her. So, when she calls, please do the following in WRP:
1) go to tomorrows date
2) go to “check outs”, scroll to the bottom of the page, let her know how many there are
3) go to “check ins”, scroll to the bottom of the page and let her know how many “stay throughs” there are
4) Double check that you are really on tomorrow’s date, not today, not some other date, only tomorrow’s date.
BACK DOOR KITCHEN
Will serve their last supper of the season on December 19 and will re-open in mid February.
Happy blowy night.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Hello, Jeepers feel like a long time since Ive been here. Stormy evening but cozy inside. Waiting for my people to arrive..
FYI Very important meeting 11/09/09 at Mullis Center , Common Sense Alliance at 5;30.Try to make it.www.commonsensealliance.net check this out.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:47 pm
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
Starts tonight. Spring ahead, fall back. I turned all lobby and kitchen clocks back an hour. I also changed the room clocks of unsold rooms. I left little post-it notes (yes, I did, I used post-it notes, it was hard, but I did, for the cause)on the clocks I changed, so we don’t get confused. Myah, will you please let Olga know and remind her to change all room clocks today before leaving? Thank you.
The Gods shined on the American Camp wedding today, sunshine, beautiful ceremony, I’m so glad. I was worried last night when I drove home in 40 miles per hour winds. One guest drove one of our beach cruisers to the wedding and back. I have to say, I’m very impressed.
Thank you so much, Deb, for saving us this morning. You are the Best.
Have a grandiose morning, Myah. I’ll see you in a bit.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
SUNDAY
We will close the hotel on Sunday instead of Monday. I will come in around noon and Myah and I will lock her up. This will affect Morgan and Khai and they know.
I made blocking cards (remember, staff meeting: something something keys). They are in the top shelf of the safe, labeled “B”. Please all take
one.
BEEP BEEP
Around 4 it started beeping. I traced the beep to the third floor and called Sergeant Seth, who located the culprit and eliminated him.
STORMWATER
I had a meeting with a very nice man from the county, who had a little presentation for all businesses about water pollution and what we can do to help. I hung his flyer above the fire alarm. Please read. The issue is that our storm water floods unmitigated into our bay. And some people don’t act accordingly. For example washing your car in the street sends soap suds into the water and kills fish, so does of course motor oil, anti freeze, etc.
We as a hotel don’t contribute to this kind of pollution. But still, I was glad to see that our county and city is raising awareness.
Happy, upgraded guests all going to a wedding on South Beach tomorrow. That will be a windy affair, I’ll bet.
Happy weekend, everybody.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
NEED A SHIFT COVERED?
Please, please call me (Dani)! I would love to work for anyone who needs it! My schedule at the dock is very flexible now days, so I’m open to cover whatever you need! Just give me a call 472-0673!
Thanks Ladies! You’re all fabulous!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
SWITCHING SHIFTS
Sweethearts, I need to know who is working. Switching shifts is perfectly fine with me, but give us a call here at Earthbox, so we can update our schedules as well.
EMERGENCY
Hope, everything is good now, Myah. In case of, you know what, call Cindy in the mornings and on Tue & Wed, call me in the evenings and on weekends. If we aren’t there, call Laura and/or one of your co-workers to get covered what needs to be covered.
October 29th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hello everyone! I’m just dropping in at the EB & BR to say goodbye. To all I haven’t had a chance to say goodbye to: It really has been a pleasure working with you. I’ll miss you all and I’ll be sending warm thoughts your way! Take Care!
Sadie
October 29th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I’m a little off my game today, I had a home emergency which is resolved now but Darling Morgan came to my rescue at 7:30 this morning. I need to have a list of people to call in case of….
October 26th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
SADIE
It’s Sadie’s last day on Wednesday. Bye, bye, Sweety. Good luck with everything. We’ll send you strong “finding work & housing” thoughts. Please send us some warm weather from Hawai. It was great meeting you. Don’t be a stranger.
Also: will you please leave your all access key and the EB office keys in the BR safe?
Oh, the book: T.C. Boyle, A Friend of the Earth. have fun.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Hello,It was so nice to see the sun make an appearance after all that rain.Cookies are in the oven and it smells terrific. Send me some guest we are ready!!!!
October 25th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Hello lovely Bird Rocking ladies,
$$
I reconciled money today and we are $20 short exactly. Sounds like one of us went shopping and forgot to bring the receipt and the change back. Can you all go through your purses and help me solve the mystery, please?
EGGS
Deb, I forgot to order eggs today. Can you go get some from the store, please?
MARROWSTONE
The hot tub is a little luke warmish. I turned it up. Will you please ask our guests if it’s warm enough? Also, will all of you check it daily, please?
FORMS/SIGNS/SIGNS/FORMS
I made a mid-week closing sign for the door and check lists to open and close the hotel mid-week. Check them out, they are on the desktop. I also put a hard copy in our front desk resource book.
I would like you all to print out the correct check list, use, sign and date and put in my box once we start closing mid-week. Please ask me if you have any questions.
Uh, the autumn is here, no denying it now. 6PM and it’s dark. But the guest we do have are happy as clams.
Happy week everybody.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Thank you, Dani, for getting the expired keys to EB and making the existing keys all pretty.
Thank you, Morgan, for initializing the expired keys and bringing them back to us. You guys rock!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Morning Myah,
#1888879
Please read notes and do your Myah magic.
LOPEZ
Chocolates, champagne and card all ready to go into the Lopez tomorrow.
SWITCHEROO
Halley can’t work tomorrow. I will work her shift at EB, Dani will work my shift here from 5-10. Myah, let me know if you can’t be here until 5. Morgan and I will figure something out.
DANI
Will stay around probably until the end of January. So, if you need a shift covered, call Chris or her.
It’s supposed to be nicish tomorrow. Western Prince has plenty of availability for their noon trip. Have a great weekend everybody.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:15 am
Good morning Dani, just a few things…
-The ladies staying in The Salt Spring checked-out last night (the 22nd). They moved to EB.
-The man staying in The Orcas (1912262, please read note)is a walk-in from last night. He originally was staying for just the night, but decided later to stay another night, checking out the 24th. He will pay in the morning, use your judgment when deciding how much to charge him for his 2nd night. Also, please make sure he knows that The Orcas isn’t available tomorrow night, he’ll be switching to The Fidalgo.
-I tried calling Lavendera to make sure they reserved Robert Nicol’s massages with no luck. I decided to wait to add the fees and make vouchers until we get their confirmation.
To all BR ladies…
-There was a message left from what sounded like a David Frasier?? His message was very difficult to understand so I’m not sure if I even got the correct name. All I could understand was that he was wanting to cancel his reservation for Friday. He didn’t specify which, so I’m assuming this Friday. He left a phone number, which sounded like 509.6308, I tried, but I don’t think it was correct. Anyway, I could not find his reservation. Please look out for this, I want to make sure we don’t charge him for no-showing…
GOODNIGHT!
October 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
MARROWSTONE
Seth installed a new CO1 detector. The old one was obviously faulty. Let’s keep an eye out. If the new one is acting up as well, we night have to think about installing it a little further away from the fireplace. It is behind the couch. In case it makes a sound, look at it, it will display what the issue is. Call Seth and tell him. But hopefully, all is good.
See you all at the meeting on Thursday.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Good day here @ the Bird Rock Hotel. Our lobby is sparkling clean with Olga and Socco doing their thing and I helped. Dani is here early so I am off to Windermere. Have a great evening.
October 18th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Good Morning Debbie!
COFFEE
Can you please order us some regular coffee today?
SCONE MIX
I ordered 4 boxes of scone mix. Left a message. When they call back, please confirm.
FOOD ORDER
I didn’t put one in today. We are good.
Pretty uneventful today, which is not a bad thing. Sun came out, yippiieeh!
October 18th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Here’s a good one, our guest in the Bainbridge asked me for a fan this morning, so i asked was the room too hot ? No it is just so quiet we need some noise….Go figure!!!!!Have a great Sunday.
October 18th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Here a good one that I haven’t heard yet. Some folks that are staying in the Bainbridge would like a fan, I ask if the room is too hot? No but it is so quiet we need it for the noise. You gotta love it!!!!!
October 17th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
MARROWSTONE
Our guests were bothered again by the beeping sound. Olga determined it was the carbon monoxide detector. It must be faulty. We’ll have Seth check it out on Monday. Moved guests. Deb, please let Olga know that the room needs to be cleaned.
SERVING PLATTERS
Beautiful Laura got us new serving platters. Oh, check them out. Very nice. Let’s use the oval bowl for eggs and the rectangular platters for fruit and what not.
YOGURT
I organized our yogurt abundance by date. Please use the Tillamok brand first and then serve by expiration date.
KITCHEN CEILING
Have a look by sink. If this gets worse, call Seth.
So foggy and rainy out. The perfect day to snuggle up in a 2 person jetted tub with some cookies and bubbli, oh yeah!
October 16th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
MARROWSTONE
Seth put a cap on the smoke detector next to the ceiling fan. So far so good….
SKIPJACK
Please read my email in the inbox.
JEANS & SWEATER
Regino brought it to EB to be mailed on Monday.
All is good. Nice folks here. It’s drizzling outside, but super warm. Pineapple express?
October 15th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Thursday evening, Our last guests arrived..Thanks for the help on the rooms Steffi. The computer is very tired. Attached to my night shift duties is a report Disk Defragmenter this helped a bit.
There is no room in our fridge….we are packed with goodies.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
ALARM?
a guest told me an alarm went off in the marrowstone in the middle of the night last night. I have not been able to get any info from the night manager on what happened. Just a heads up.
Jeans and a Sweater, were last seen together in the san juan suite, mingling and co-mingling.Their owner would like them home if sighted. Her rez # is 1878409, and her address and # are on file.
FOOD
we just got in a lot of it, so I didn’t place an order today.
HOT
Cute-hot-tub-guy was here and said the tub looks fabulous!
October 14th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
SLOW COMPUTER
Really slow. I called Chris, hope that is okay.
All is well
at
the
Bird
Rock
Hotel.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Yippee Skippy, Bruce the appliance guy just left we should have our first batch of ice shortly.It is close to 5:00 where is my relief woman.Hope she is here soon.
October 13th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Tuesday afternoon, Called Appliance Repair and left message earlier today , haven’t heard from them yet.
Pretty mellow around the hotel today. One more check in this afternoon. We have enough Yogurt and Milk to last us awhile.Specially since there are fewer quests.
Our guest in the Fidalgo has a great suggestion for our bed frames the small lights in the clear tubes he thinks this would help for bruised knees, He is so sweet.
He has recently lost his wife after 51 years and has come to our island for some comfort.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
ICE MACHINE
Please blog when the Bruce’s Appliance Repair guy shows up.
A WORD ABOUT HEAT
T’is that time of the year. So we have in-floor heating. Coils poured into the concrete. If you turn the heat up or down in our rooms, you won’t feel any difference for 6 or so hours. When you do your daily walk-throughs, make sure all heaters are around 65/70. As a special challenge we have a couple of thermostats, which are backwards (Succia is one of them, I’m sure we will remember the others soon). It’s best just to leave the heat right there in the middle. And once we close midweek, the heat stays on, otherwise we’ll have frosty guests all Thursdays. Give our guests a little space heater if they are cold (there are a couple in the luggage room, Raquel will bring us some more).
LOBBY: it gets chilly in here, but we can’t turn the heat higher than 70, our beautiful floor won’t take it. So if you are chilly, put a little space heater behind the front desk.
SPIEDEN BATHROOM: doesn’t have heat. If you have chilly guests, please supply a space heater.
And I think these are all the tricks.
RESTAURANTS
Make sure to call ahead when sending guests to dinner. Everybody is changing their opening hours now. Vinnie’s is closed on Sundays again, so is the Bluff. Back Door serves Thurs through Sunday for a little while longer. If you are bored, call them all and make us a list.
Uh, I’m all cold now. Deb graduated from fire place school today. Of course she aced it. More fruit and coffee tomorrow.
Have a great week everybody.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Morning marvelous Myah!
ICE MACHINE
Is out of order. After Seth cleaned it, it didn’t make any ice. Then after resetting it several times it started to make scary noises and still no ice. I turned it off and called Bruce’s appliance repair. I assume we won’t hear from them until Monday. When they come, the manual is in the upper file cabinet in the way back. Please get ice from King’s until then.
SHARED BATHROOMS
Regino and I stocked the shared bathroom shelves with rolled hand-towels. The new hampers look fabulous. I made tasteful signs to distinguish them from garbage receptacles.
It was summer busy today. Yeah, middle of October and being sold out!
October 8th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Good evening , It is all good here tonight and I appreciate the notes on the fireplace, Thank you Steffi. Our flowers from Rolph are beautiful, and the lobby is sparkling, we need some pumpkins around. Maybe some little ones.
Thats all for tonight. Sleep tight!!!
October 8th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
ALL FRONT DESK STAFF MEETING
Please join us on Thursday 10/22/09 at 3PM in the Earthbox Lobby for an all front desk staff meeting. This is a mandatory meeting. Sadie and Dani may join us, but don’t have to (maybe you can woman the front desks during the meeting).
MASSAGE TREATMENTS
Ladies, please make sure when you book a massage to adjust the treatment price if applicable. As in: guest chose “massage” on website, $85 was charged to his invoice. When talking to the guest, she decides on a deep tissue massage. We need to adjust massage price to $95. Thank you.
October 8th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
PILOT LIGHT SCHOOL
Hey Deb, let’s do a little lesson at shift change on Sunday. Also: when you open the fire place panel, to your right is a little metal tag with a description on how to put on the pilot. And here is an easy 1-2-3-4-5
1) Turn right button to “pilot light” and hold for 30 seconds.
2) while holding pilot light button press ignator button on your left until pilot light is lit. Hold pilot light button for another 30 seconds.
4) gently release pilot light button and turn to “on”
5) press middle button (off-auto-on) to on and the fire goes on, yeah!
October 8th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
FOOD
I ordered from Tom, he said the order will be here Monday except for the milk which will be here Saturday. We might have to patch in some things over the weekend, like yogurt and milk and fruit.
ICE ICE BABY
We don’t have any. The ice machine is down. Seth was cleaning it but I don’t know whats going on with it now, except it’s not making little cubes of frozen water.
It is absolutely gorgeous today! What a week.
That’s it for now.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Hello, Can someone give me a lesson on how to ignite the pilot light in our rooms and to make them work , Winter is here and folks want them lite.They had it on last eve but somehow turned off the pilot, shoot I need a manual.Other than that we are having a good evening and pink skies are gorgeous.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Get This…..
Guest in Sucia LOVES THE ESPRESSO MAKER! He even came down to tell me and to get more coffee pods! That’s one for the espresso maker.
He also was able to peel one of the really fresh eggs without a flaw. I was really impressed by that.And…. he said he went to see Mona the camel and she let him pet her, does she do that? His name is Jeremy and he has some skills!
SETH the DOLL
Lit the pilot in the Bainbridge and he cleaned out the ice maker and needs more “product” if anyone knows what that means.
I am making apple sauce with the long-time-apple- -residents of the Bird Rock Hotel. It smells delicious.
Thanks Dani for cleaning the coffee pots, I didn’t even know you could get them that clean.
FRUIT
We could use some red or purple fruit for the morning, it is looking a little monochromatic in my opinion. Maybe raspberries?
October 5th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Hello all.
Just a few things I was thinking about:
LOST-Has anyone seen the lid to the other plastic juice pitcher? I can’t find it anywhere.
COFFEE- This is the second night in a row I have thrown away a full pot(small silver pitcher) of coffee. So in the future I think we should only make pots when the pump-pot is empty. Because after about 4pm, no one really drinks much coffee, and I hate to waste it. So only brew coffee if we are totally out! Please please and thank you Thank you!!
and speaking of coffee…I puro-cafed all of the silver pots and the large pump pots. They really needed it! Maybe we should add that to the chore list?
October 5th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Ladies, please remember to take out the recycling on Sunday as well as the garbage on Mondays and Thursdays. Seth has been saving us lately from garbage world… Thank you!
October 4th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Hello, any body know where the fall ferry schedules are? I thought we had a box of them here.We are ready for our next round of guest, Hotel looking good.
October 4th, 2009 at 12:18 am
We’ve got a full house tonight!
Everyone is in. Quiet, crisp evening.
Goodnight.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Hello Hello
MYAH
You got a lovely letter from the men who had to be helicoptered off island, you helped so much. Check it out.
BOARD
Let’s write on the board in the kitchen at night how many folks we will have for breakfast.
RATE SHEETS
Made more rate sheets. There are more above the safe, just need to be cut.
INK
Got more printer ink.
SHAMPOO BOTTLES
Please let Olga know that Laura got us a whole box of new body care dispensers. They are in the back.
It looks great in here. Lovely guests, sunshine. All is good.
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
Good morning, the folks at the Bird Rock are inspiring we only have to bikes left in our rack.
Makes me want to hop on one.
lots of stay overs today, going to be busy for Housekeeping.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
WOW! I love cool computer tricks, I just searched for the words “eggs”, “for”, “happy”, “sunny”… hit high-light all, and BINGO! Thanks for that Laura.
There is nothing like the sight of a Booking page that says all are checked IN!! Lovely.
Good morning Dardinelli, watch for the folks in the BB and the Lopez….funny people, they might get you with a joke early in the morning, stay on your toes. lol, myah
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Maya called and has the phone no worries. 2 Early check ins!!! thank fully , only 2 guest for breaky as the Honeymooners aren’t coming out much , wow the sun is blazing I am opening the doors.Deb
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
BLOG TRICK
Hey, did you guys know that you can search this blog to find the answers to frequently asked questions? Yes, all you have to do is click your cursor on the page and then hit F3. At the bottom left in your screen will appear a box where you can search for things like:
PAINT
where you will find this helpful posting by Kaitlyn way back when: “the wall color in the hotel is Baja Dunes benjamin moore paint and trim is glaciar white”
so cool!!!
October 1st, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Good morning Debbie—- Here is the news for the night. I cannot find the phone for Elena. I called and left a message with Myah to see if she has it. Elena told me to put her cell # on a note for the sign. Please call Myah again and see if she has the phone, I have looked everywhere!
Thanks and have a super, duper day!
October 1st, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Hey guys! Very slow, quiet night. I am feeling “under the weather” tonight. Survived the evening so that is good. Just a couple of things to know:
A. The spa called again regarding their change of hours (scroll down to Cindy’s message if you missed it).
B. I cannot find anymore coffee, so Debbie will need to order more tomorrow.
C. This is my last night here at the rock for the season. Thank you to everyone ! What a great staff we have here and at the EB! You guys are all rock stars and I have loved working here! Have a super winter…see you around…..
October 1st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Hi guys, I don’t need help on Sunday , I did a trade with someone here at Winderemere. Thanks anyway. Debb
September 30th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
SADIE- make sure you open and confirm the milk/cream is bad. Because the date printed on the side is the sell by date, not the go bad date. Milk is normally good at least a week or so after that date. So make sure you check so we don’t waste perfectly delicious goods!:)
STEFFI- my parents have chickens that are laying eggs like crazy! They are small brown eggs, but are organic and all that good stuff. Let me know if your interested! Also I’ve gotten a few requests for honey to go with the tea. Is that something we might consider getting?
ANYONE and EVERYONE!- I would love to pick up any extra shifts anyone needs covered! My schedule is pretty open and flexible these days so, with a few days notice, I am able to take any shift you need covered. Let me know!!
Getting the hang of things again! Good to be back!
September 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
CO OP
I did pick up the order of shampoos and goo.
PAINT
I have people asking all the time for the make and color of paint here, I just have been making names up like, “bamboo-latte” and “organic mocha-whip, shaken, not stirred” ..but what is the real color and brand?
GRAPES
We have 4023 individual grapes, that’s a lot. Maybe we can make grape pie? Yummm I wonder why no one has ever thought of that before.
LIGHT
Seth fixed the one outside.
That’s it for now,
Myah
September 30th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Hi everyone..
The spa called today, they have new hours..
Monday thru Thursday they will be open from 12:00pm to 6:15pm, the last appointment being 5:15pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be normal business hours. Of course if you have a guest that would like appointments at times that they are not open you may call the spa and they will try to get a therapist in for the appointment.
Happy September 30th….
September 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Hi guys,
GREAT job. Keep up the good work.
MATTRESSES: Apparently people continue to love our beds…woo hoo! If asked, the mattresses are Sealy, Reserve Plush Euro Pillow top.
Happy last day of September.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Twilight Zone!!!!
Here it is 8:00 AM and NO ONE is here for breakfast!
We have hot delicious scones, in perfect little shapes,
Red ripe strawberries practically begging to be savored,
Plump dusky blueberries, so rich and ripe they look as if they will just get up and start dancing,
Kiwis,
Apples lightly sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar,
Hot dark and moody coffee, to lift even the grumpiest of gray clouds,
The Yogurt is standing proud and ready, the silverware is sparkling clean and in neat rows of shiny utilitarian splendar,
Where are all the People???
I’m ready for some people, asking questions, excited for an adventure in the gorgeous san juan islands……
Ohhhh, I hear foot steps.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Bruce appliance guy came by ran rinse cycle seems to be working alright, he mentioned to be careful not to use wrong dish soap or over use soap .
Pretty good night but very quiet. We still need light bulb changed out front door.
Sunday I am scheduled here and Windermere I can open here 7;30- 10:00 can anyone help me out ?
Coffee maker was picked up by San Juan Coffee he will be in touch.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Guess what?? Debbie and I have found the Bird Cookie Recipe! Yipee! You can find it in the Recipe folder on the 2nd shelf next to the fridge.
Also, is it necessary to stock up on food so much food now that things have slowed down quite a bit? I had to throw out 2 half gallons of half & half that had expired. One of them hadn’t even been opened yet. We also have enough eggs to last a life time. They’ll go quickly once we make more cookies, though…
Have a wonderful day, Debbie!!
September 28th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
DISHWASHER
I left a message with Bruce’s Appliance Repair. Hopefully he will get back to us soon. How is it working?
SCHEDULE
Sadie picked up the new schedule, yeah. Thank you.
Please all continue to write down your hours until our time clock is healthy again.
September 27th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Cooling down, wow the front door is still open but it is starting to feel chilly at night. Guest are all checked in and everyone is out for dinner. Kind of quiet at the moment. Bikes still need some attention.Thanks Debbie
September 27th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I’ve put in Sunday’s food order…
Steffi, I took care of 1803755 & 1803752′s remaining balances. Elizabeth Anderson wrote 1 check for both balances. It is in the cash box in the safe.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Hello wonderful Bird Rocking ladies,
1803755 & 1803752
still owe money. The host of the memorial party will pay for the room. I saw her, but all her guests had just arrived and I felt it was not the right time. Sadie, will you please make sure the balances will be taken care of before check out? Thank you.
DISHWASHER
Is doing that thing again where dishes don’t get spanking clean. Do a good hand-washing before putting them in. I’ll call the repair man on Monday.
$$
I keep coming up short. Please make sure to submit every receipt and initial it.
COOKIE RECIPE
Where did that go? Anybody seen it?
WHAT DIED IN THE FREEZER?
Is a question we here at Bird Rock do not want to ask ourselves. So now where we are starting to slow down, I would like us all to adhere to the deep cleaning schedule (on the fridge). Let’s be on it this week. And don’t forget to put those garbage cans out.
SUNDAY – recycling (sorry, Deb, you got all the hauling shifts this week), MONDAY – 2 garbage cans, THURSDAY – 2 garbage cans.
WEDNESDAY – MYAH
Can you please get a check from Cindy and go over to the food co-op to pick up 5 gallons of shampoo and 2 gallons of shower gel. They’ll call you when the delivery comes. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all your help with the medical emergency today. You are the best.
Have a great week everybody.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Morning Myah!
Happy Day to you. Photos of the lobby and the outside will be taken on Saturday morning. Make sure, everything looks good. Thank you.
CYPRESS
The bathroom sink doesn’t drain. Please have a look. If we can’t fix it, call Seth. We’ll have new guests checking in.
ESPRESSO MAKERS
Steve from SJ Coffee Co will stop by next week and pick up the espresso maker in the luggage room. Please give it to him. He may be able to help us with our espresso maker issues. Yippiieeh!
Gorgeous day, lovely people, love the flowers, indoor and out, aaahhh.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Thank you, Ladies!
Tomorrow, please no early check-ins, so the photographer can take pictures between 1PM and 3PM. Thank you. Can’t wait to see your magic garden.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Hi all, Another Bike blew a tire, if any of the guys have time to look through our fleet that would be neat. Mainly men’s seem worst for the wear. Maya and I totally spruced up the gardens wow if we say so our selves.Check it out. Don’t know if we have been missing our garbage pick ups but my back hurts from all the stuff I took out tonight.I am off to Twisp for a few days and we will see you all on Sunday. Aloha
September 24th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Wow! Great to be back. Glad to see Dani is back on board as well. Dani, we have a check off sheet for the AM and PM shifts to keep up on what to do. It seems to work well.
I just got a lot of flowers for the lobby, but I am not much of an arranger so if you want to jump in be my guest. We do have Sunset magazine here for the next couple of days right?
The Goodalls are staying with us and they have extended an invitation to share their rented mini van for a share of the cost, for tomorrow(9/25) at 10:00 AM for and hour or 2 to tour the island. They have room for 6 more people and their # is 760 518 7860. I think he said the whole van was 60.00, so a share will be a good deal.
I ordered food for Sat. with Tom except for Oats which only come in 50 lb. bags, so I held off, due to the season.Can we get some at the market?
The dish washer is full of standing water, I’m scared to run it. More on that later, or no news is good news.
I am off to Browne’s to get fresh flowers for our boxes here. I am totally dressed for gardening….velvet pants and a white blouse, ha.
So, that’s it from me…. Oh yeh, everyone is happy here, and one guest raved about our website (Adam) and said she planned her entire trip from google earth and bird rock website. Love it.
TTFN Myah PApaya
September 24th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Hello everyone! Its good to be back!.. but I am a little rusty on things, so if I miss anything or there is something I should know please, please write me a little note or something to fill me in.;)
Very quiet here tonight…but just a few things..
1) Steffi- what should we do about reservation 1841933? she was a no-show, we called her but have not heard back???
2)also, no need to make cookie dough for at least a few days! we should wait until we get a little low (like one/two bags) before we keep making more, so it stays fresh..
That’s all for me! Good night!
(I miss you Myah! Hope I get to see you at a shift change soon! love love)
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Steffi, Olga wanted me to let you know that she is out of the bulk shampoo. Is this something one of us can order??
Welcome back Myah!! We’ve missed you!
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Everyone’s in for the night and all is quiet. 1841933 was supposed to have checked-in yesterday into the Patos. I noticed she hadn’t ever check-in when I looked at all the check-outs for today and noticed she still had an owing balance. I’m not sure if someone had forgotten to check her in or if just never really did arrive. Debbie has left a message for her, so hopefully we’ll hear back tomorrow. I’ve just left the remaining balance until we sort things out.
Have a good morning, Sadie! Heheh
September 21st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Sadie, please put the individual coffee packages in the right lower drawer of the lobby counter (put where the decaf individual coffee packages are). Please let Olga know I got them.
I brought you guys a gallon of lobby floor cleaner. Don’t say I never get you anything;)
September 21st, 2009 at 7:13 pm
It’s a pretty mellow day at Bird Rock. I’ve made plenty of cookie dough, which should last us quite a few days. Our coffee was delivered today. 1 bag of decaf, 1 of regular. There was also a paper bag of small coffee packets, I’m assuming they’re for the rooms but wasn’t sure to put them. Steffi, do these go in the cabinet along with the espresso pods?? For now, they are sitting in the back on the table. It’s a good day, all guests seem to be very pleased with BR…
September 20th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Morning Sadie,
have a fabulicious shift!
Oh you got to make sure our guests in the Whidbey get some cookies today. They tried 3 times and always were just one cookie too late. Maybe bake them a small plate and bring it to them?
Please read notes on 1837963 and 1856557.
If the photography director from Sunset contacts you via phone or email, please let me know (read email in inbox).
Please show Dani the night shift check list and ask if she has any questions.
Welcome back, Dani! I’m up at EB, call me with issues. If you have a chance, please read up on the blog and the emails (new specials!).
Welcome back Myah Papaya, traveling queen! Please don’t forget to order food on Thursday. Call me if you have questions. Please also read up on everything.
Brought your “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” back (it’s in the back), thank you, that was just what I needed. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Turkey procreation. Wow. I laughed so hard at their first attempts and I actually cried when they hatched.
Now I’m starting “The Women” by TC Boyle, about architect Frank Loyd Wright. Did you guys know we have a genuine Wright house on Bailer Hill. When you come from town and the hill gets real steep and then flattens out, look to your right. Very cool.
September 20th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Sunday in the afternoon, This job is so much fun, especially meeting folks from all over the planet.I took a spin on our bike and it seems they all need a bit of air, cooler weather and busy season has their tires low. Ready to go to the beach after work. See you next week.
September 20th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Morning Deb,
Woah, thanks for having the bathrooms fixed. Socco reenacted the event for me.
I exchanged the printer cartridges (last one for the black). Will order more soon.
You are low on milk, you’ll probably be fine through breakfast.
Happy, pleasant day here. Lot’s of people looking for rooms. But we didn’t have any
Sent them to EB though
See you at 2.
September 19th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Wow what an awesome day. A bit Breezy but SUNNY, Stephi our quest from Sunset will be arriving around 6:00 leaving Lopez at 4:30,The restrooms have been fixed up with CLOBBER, the local plumber came to our rescue this morning.
September 19th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Morning Deb!
What are you wearing?
Please read alarms(2 to deal with today:) and email I wrote.
I o.k.ed a noon check out for the folks in the Whidbey, who will switch into the Speiden. Please have the housekeepers work on the Speiden first, so we can get those honeymooners into their room soon.
Lovely night here at the Rock. See you tomorrow.
September 18th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Hi all, Colin Williams called this morning to see if we had sent his credit card that he left behind, I checked in the safe , If someone has sent it please call him @ 206-499-8335. Thanks so much, he will call if it arrives.Very busy day haven’t even cleaned up yet.Better get going.
September 17th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Hello fellow employees! This part of the message is mainly for Deb, since she is opening in the morning. I checked and doubled checked my list and I think everything is ready for you in the morning. I am nervous, it has been awhile since I have worked down here.
The lobby is all sparkly…except…
We are out of “floor cleaner”. I cleaned it with a damp cloth, but we do need to get some cleaner. I have no idea where you get it, Sadie did write it on the board.
As far as the garbage goes, it was an interesting night. There are some shingles? on a dolly by the back gate where the garbage is. It is blocking the gate, and the dolly is so heavy I could not budge it! I had to take the garbage cans out through the lobby. I could not lift the heaviest one, but at least I got two cans to the road. Phew!
All is calm tonight, everyone has come back from dinner and given me wonderful reviews, it is making me hungry.
Have a great Friday!
P.S. Bird Rock Rocks
September 17th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Another great day…
I’ve ordered a huge amount of food today from Tom. Hard to believe how quickly everything goes! We are practically out of all fruit so Carla is going to run to the store so that Debbie will be prepared for tomorrow morning.
Mya-
Colby from CBS asked that you call him back at 866.768.0804
September 14th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Coffee is ordered! Should be delivered tomorrow afternoon. Delivering mail right now! Have a WONDERFUL day, Morgan!!
September 13th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
SADIE
Morning gorgeous. Please don’t forget to order coffee and bring the postcards and old printer cartridges to the post office.
Also during shift change on Thursday will you please show Carla our side duty list and ask her if she has any questions. It has been a while since she worked a night shift.
….and for the next three nights, guest starring MORGAN as the night shift. Yeah! Please bring 2 garbage cans to the street tomorrow night.
Check out our new specials by reading Adam’s emails and also look at the websites, so you know what our guests see.
Uh, the newlyweds in the San Juan are so cute. They came here married less than 24 hours ago and were just beaming. All they need is love, dumpti dumpti dum…
September 13th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Mhm. Bainbridge people called and said they had canceled reservation. Anybody know anything about this? No notes. So that room is clean.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
What a gorgeous day.
#1786003, #1844508, #1843838
All one guest checking out today. I printed out his invoices and wrote little explanations next to the charges. Please give to him at check out (I’ll leave it on the desk)
#1739796
These poor guys. They came from the Sydney ferry. The ferry workers ushered them into the wrong lane and didn’t let them off in FH. They had to go to Anacortes, are currently sitting at the Mc Donalds there and will arrive at 2AM. They will switch rooms tomorrow, but we will let them sleep in, please.
I’m waiting for another party (Bainbridge). I hope they check in with me before I leave.
Happy shift Sadie. See you at 2.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Bikes need some attention #9 has a flat tire and #3 has a spring that need to be put back under the seat both are black bikes.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Oh my we had the best morning, The Brainbridge suite with the door open with the girls getting ready for a wedding.She looked amazing and the photographer took pictures next our beautiful roses.Our guest really enjoyed the whole thing.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
TECHNICAL AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES
Please read #1844508 and #1841058. I also couldn’t print most of my shift (mainly because I just didn’t have the time to crawl under the desk and check it out). So some people might ask for their invoices. It’s working now.
ADVENTURE & MASSAGE CANCELLATIONS
Please remember that the spa and other adventure providers have a similar cancellation policy to ours. If you cancel within 10 days and they can’t resell the add-on, the guest will be charged in full. Make sure you let all our guests know when you book an add-on.
EXTRA FRONT DOOR KEYS
Super Morgan kindly brought us (on a Susie’s Moped no less) some extra front door keys. They are in the upper shelf of the safe.
ORANGE SWEATER
Deb, can you ask the housekeepers if they found an orange sweater, please (see email)?
Happy shift. See you tomorrow:)
September 10th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Hello, Only one room left tonight, I sure would be tempted to check it out. Lots of great folks enjoying the lobby tonight, We could use some bleach for coffee mugs.
Maya call me @ Windermere tomorrow if you have any questions. Have a Great one.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
You guys are so good. Check out the new Trip Advisor reviews. Well done!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Food is ordered!
We are going to be completely stocked for years!! Yesss
September 9th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Hello, Very nice evening here @ The Bird…This new schedule is very nice. Only one cup of tea to keep me alert.Everyone loves this hotel and it is a pleasure to work here.Cheers…
September 9th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
WEDDING
We will be getting phone calls to book rooms for a wedding on Nov 21. Alaina is the brides first name.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
FOOD
We have everything on the order!!! We have enough strawberry yogurt for a year.
PIE
I made one tonight out of the outdated apples.I used a bottle of champagne to roll out the dough. I haven’t made a pie since last winter, it was theraputic.
Next WEEK
I found a ride to No. Cal to see my girls next week,(so happy to see them I could cry)and I need to fill in the days that I’m on the schedule. I hope it’s not too late to tweak it to work for everyone.
PEOPLE
We have some characters here tonight, I mean funny people. Everyone loves the Hotel Bird Rock. they ooo and awe over everything. I’m gonna ooo and awe over that pie when it’s done.
QUESTION
If a hen and a half, could lay an egg and a half, in a day and a half,
How long would it take a monkey with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?
Anyone?
~myah~ =^^= ( kitty face )
September 7th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Well, today officially ends our summer season. Not so for Bird Rock Hotel. We keep packing them in for at least another 2 weeks. Keep making those bookings, ladies! Great job.
NIGHT SHIFT
The PM shift, starting today, goes now from 2:00PM to 10:00PM, with the AM person leaving at 2:30PM. Except on Fridays and Saturdays, when the PM shift remains 3:00PM to 11:00PM, with the AM person leaving at 3:30PM (through September).
ALARMS
Don’t forget to follow up on those alarms.
GARBAGE
Thank you Seth, for saving us from garbage hell today.
Don’t forget to bring those 2 cans to the curb on Mondays and Thursdays (see deep cleaning schedule).
All is good. I’m gonna have myself a day off in my lovely new house, snacking on my own apples and blackberries, trying to psych out the bats hanging from the porch (they are so totally underimpressed by my presence). Peace out.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:00 am
OUR LOVELY GUESTS
are such good sports with the rain and all. We had a line tonight, because people where eating in their rooms and wanted to do their dishes in the lobby. WANTED is the important word here. I finally had to just grab them and explain that doing dishes is not allowed on vacation. Great folks here tonight, loving it.
September 5th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
SADIE
Will stay with us until the end of September, yeah! If anybody needs a day off on the current schedule, give her a ring.
LOPEZ
The Lopez couch, when folded out into a bed, doesn’t fold back in. No problem for the current guests, who stay until Tuesday (and have the cutest tiny baby girl). Wrote maintenance report.
ESPRESSO PODS
We are getting low. I ordered some more.
Wow. Maybe I should take time off more often. The place looks great. Front desk, luggage room and kitchen organized, lobby sparkling clean, vouchers made. You guys are so good. Thank you.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Sadie, I got enough granola for sat. but you will need to get more for Sun. if our food order doesn’t come in, mm-kay?
Please check e-mail for request for a long massage apt. for guest. It’s too late for me to call.
have a great weekend ya’ll, think of me camping with my mom in her hippy bus at Lake Dale in the rain ….Kum-by-ya,
Myah
September 4th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Yeah, Sadie! Thank you. Well, let’s move on to berries. Blueberries sound good?
Have a great Labor Day weekend, everybody. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Can you say,” Tired”?????
September 4th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Sadie did make a food order, it is on the white board, but we are out of granola, I got enough for the morning as well as some fruit. Strawberries are on their way out of season. They sure were good while they lasted.
Everyone is happy here at the Bird Rock! I am rockin here at the Happy.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 pm
FOOD
Sadie did order food. She wrote the order on the white board. We do need granola, and strawberries are so out of season, it might be time to re think that particular juicy fruit.
XXXXXXXOOOOXXX
Debbie you got a phone call from a thankful guest tonight. He was very happy to be here and appreciated you sending his clothes back so quickly.
We are still taking reservations pretty steadily. I better find out how late our season goes in to the next season.
Shiney-Happy-People!
Peace,Out.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
FOOD
Debbie, I don’t know if Sadie ordered some food today. She may not have since I didn’t explicitly say it. Can you give Tom a call and see if he can hook us up for Saturday, please? I have no idea what we need, fruit, milk, yogurt, Myah says granola. See if he can do something for us. If not, let’s call each other around 1 (I’m at EB at 12:30)and one of us can go to MP and do a big weekend shopping fest. Yippieh!
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 am
High pitched beeping found. The Marrowstone’s fire alarm in the living room was making an annoying constant beeping sound. The alarm panel didn’t say anything was happening but the red light on the alarm was blinking too. I don’t know if that means anything though. The beeping would randomly start, go for a while and then turn off. The start up a bit later. The only thing I could think of doing was to take down the smoke alarm. It is currently sitting on the back table. Please give Seth a call in the morning to inform him. Thank you.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 am
Okay here we go:
- Cookie dough made
- Sea Quest vouchers created and printed out.
- Lavendera vouchers printed
- Bainbridge guests decided not to have a fire so the pilot light is not lit.
- I hope there is a food order coming tomorrow because otherwise you have just enough of the staples to make it through breakfast.
- There is this high pitched beeping that happens every now and then. I can’t figure out where it’s coming from.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:33 am
Our coffee order arrived today. Filters too.
Shannon wants to check the flower boxes in the San Juan when it is convenient, her cell is 472-1162.The guests are staying till the 4th.
A couple of Assessors came by today with clip boards and curious(smiley) expressions. Just thought you’d want to know.
The guests staying in the Bainbridge would like the fire place on for tomorrow. It needs the pilot light to be lit. Please call Seth or someone who knows how to do it, thanks.
Our cute little butter dishes seem to be scarce these days. Anyone know where they are hiding?
everyone is here and happily ticked in to bed for the night. All is well.
Myah
September 1st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
ORDERED
- Coffee Filters
- Coffee (not decaf)
- Champagne (To be shared w/ EB)
August 31st, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Champagne- We are all out of the Mountain Dome Champagne
August 31st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Coffee Filters- I couldn’t find anymore. Maybe we can get some from Earthbox.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:16 am
Very quiet night… Good morning Elena! The dishes in the dishwasher are clean. I started to make cookie dough, but had to stop when I realized we were out of eggs. So you’ll probably need to make a store run at some point tomorrow. Just a reminder, we will need to place a food order on Tuesday since today’s wasn’t placed in time.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
The cookies seem to be a hit even though it is the brown flour, That is good because we have a lot of it. Vacuumed Dani’s room and it is a lot fresher. We have some guest that inquired as to the where abouts of Ms Maya Papaya. You’ve got some new friends.
No sign of our orange kitten,well that’s all for tonight.Debbie
August 28th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Yeah! Thanks Deb, for doing the scone thing. I’m glad everything is fine with the hot tub. Thank you all for not dropping the ball. I send you warmth, Debbie!
August 28th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Took Scone Boxes to UPS today Tracking invoice is with invoices.
Hot tub was emptied and refilled on the 08/27/09. Sorry I Forgot to blog about it last evening.
Lots of groovy folks here tonight.
What happened to the hot weather though ? I am in a dress.Brr. Debbie
August 27th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
We have lots of scone mix not sure where to put it all it is a project.Made cookies but not with white flour, we will see how they measure up.
Very Busy stocking and trying to organize, put out 3 trash cans because we needed too.
Very nice and warm here but a nice trade wind coming through the front door. I’m feeling very Hawaiian. ALOHA Debbie
August 27th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
FRONT DOOR
All of our all access keys can permanently open or close the front door. So if it doesn’t stay open, put in your all access key and “double dip” until it blinks green and stays open.
KEYS
Please remember to write in the guest remark section how many keys you give to a guest. I will send Morgan down there this weekend to remake guest room keys.
SCONE MIX
Please place the return labels on the “wrong” scone mix and call fedex or UPS (don’t know which one delivered) for a pick up. Blog about it, so I know it’s done.
Rock on, you guys are great!
August 27th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Hello!
Correct scone mix was delivered today!! I also placed a food order with Tom for fruit, eggs and yogurt to be delivered Saturday. I stored a couple freshly caught salmon (tightly wrapped) in the freezer for the couple staying in the Saltspring. They will pick it up before departing tomorrow.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Before I forget:
Connifer called today to say, they are shipping the correct shipment to us today. The return call tags will be inside the new shipment to return the other order.
myah
August 26th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Hieeeee,
I got the mesg to pick up the 4 gal of hand soap on wed.
The front door lock may need to reprogrammed after the power outage. It will open but not stay open
We are low on room keys, only one for Fidalgo and the guests say it won’t open the front door.
That’s it for now, all is well.
myah
August 25th, 2009 at 2:02 am
Good evening everyone…
Nothing extremely important to pass on tonight. I’ve had two walk-ins tonight, both very sweet couples who were very pleased that we had openings. 1 room away from being completely booked for the night! Have a fantastic morning, Elena!
August 24th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
SCONE MIX
ISSUE SOLVED! phew! Conifer Inc called today and we sorted the whole thing out. They will issue call tags for the two boxes that were incorrectly delivered. They will send immediately 5- 25 pound boxes of the bulk scone mix and re-do all of the paperwork. In the meantime there is another case of the wrong size scone mix on the way and we will need to refuse the delivery so that it is automatically sent back to them. YAY!
August 24th, 2009 at 12:14 am
BROKEN LAMP
One of our guest’s bathrobes got caught on the light fixture right outside the Skipjack. Lot’s of broken glass. Our guest is o.k. I cleaned it up good. Please apologize to our guests if I annoyed them with vacuuming so late, but I wanted to make sure nobody cuts their feet. Wrote maintenance request to replace light fixture.
August 23rd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
SKIPJACK, LOPEZ, SUCIA
All leave early and have a little breakfast sack in their room already.
WEDNESDAY
Myah or Elena, please pick up 4 gallons of hand soap from the food co-op. They will call when the truck comes. All paid, just go there and get it.
THURSDAY
Sadie, please be the ordering queen again.
SUNDAY
Elena, please put in a food order.
I won’t be here all next week. Remember: ears, eyes, blog, call, email. The big white lady is in your hands. Treat her and her occupants like the apple of your eye.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 pm
SPEIDEN
Elena, can you ask the housekeepers if they found shampoo from a guest in the room, please (see email).
SCONE MIX
Wrong wrong wrong. Let’s use the pitifully small packages, send the 2 boxes under the Cuisinart back and I’ll re-order the bulk stuff on Monday.
CHEERIOS
Also totally wrong. The box is in the luggage room. Tom knows. Please send back with Tuesday’s order.
ICE CREAM SCOOP
We still need a new one.
LUGGAGE TAGS
There are more in the luggage room.
Gorgeous day, happy people, good times.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:37 pm
SJ coffee delivered the decaf. I put the little individual pks in the drawer with all the others, and the big bag is next to the regular coffee in the usual spot.
It’s blustery tonight. Perfect San Juan August.
Oh yeh, I freshened up our apple monument: still life with Granny-Smith tonight. It’s back to it’s shiney greeney self.
Bye bye miss american pie.
My
August 21st, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I’m still here!
We are out of luggage tickets here, will someone please bring some down here?
We received two boxes of scone mix, and one box of individual size boxes of mix. I won’t un pack it in case we need to send it back. It’s next to the fridge.
I filled in with a fruit shopping at the market, but we are low on eggs, some fruit, milk and OJ.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:34 pm
SATURDAY BOXES
Elena, when the food order comes tomorrow, please save me decent boxes. Thank you.
Uprooted girl
August 21st, 2009 at 4:52 pm
ICE SCOOP
Myah, please run over to the kitchen store and get us a new ice cream scoop.
CHALK
Go get it.
August 21st, 2009 at 12:39 am
Another peaceful night here at he Bird Rock, rock-a-bye-bye-baby.
Our green apple statue is missing some pizazz, It’s looking kind of low. I think we are out of apples to prop it up.
Hey, you know the beautiful little butter buds we serve in the morning? Well it turns out we need the mini ice cream scoop to make those little cuties look good. You should see what I made out of butter and a spoon. sad. Can we get another scoop?
We also need some colored chalk for our all important chalk board, our chalks are so small, we are getting the dreaded finger nail thing going…eeewwww you know the sound!
OK, I better post this before I get timed out.
It’s all what we think it is.
Myah
August 20th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
YEAH!
Thank you all for keeping me posted. I’m loving it!
Co-op: The hand soap is on back-order. I’ll re-order next week and we simply paid for it already.
Check out our new Trip Advisor review. Keep up the excellent work, Bird Rocking ladies!
August 20th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Hello Ladies!
Steffi, I almost forgot to let you know that I put in today’s food order. A very sweet woman came by and took it. Have a great day!
August 20th, 2009 at 1:00 am
CO-OP
I picked up the things from the Co-op today but it seems not everything was delivered, I gave them the check for the amount it was written for and they will issue us a credit on the next order. They also said they would e-mail Steffi but just a heads up.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
You do what you do, until you get where your going. All is well here nice and quiet with happy guests, who I have warned of the dreaded Karaoke and the location of earplugs. I also offered to a couple of them that if the noise was horrible we could give them a noon check-out. Hope you are having a great morning Sadie.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Top of the morning, I have a favor to ask, I am scheduled for Friday Aug 21rst 7;30 -3:00 I had made plans for being at the Woodstock fest that weekend, Carla said she could work 7:30 – 11:00 would anyone be able to do 11:00 – 3:00. So greatly appreciated. Please call me ….Debbie
August 19th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Gee, I had just written a bunch of interesting stuff in here, but I got timed out or something and now it’s too late for me to remember what it was I had to say other than the Cheerios just exploded all over the floor and I need to clean them up, even though they do sound good when they are stepped on. I’ll be home tomorrow if there is a question, maybe I’ll remember then.
xoxoxo myah
August 18th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Marrowstone has a shower valve that needs to be replaced.The Honeymooners are great and we gifted them with a bottle of Champagne. Seth is aware of the problem.
Having problems with the codes for the T.V. in the Whidbey, took the troubleshooting book with me but the codes seem to be the hang up.
It would be helpful to have guides to coffee makers in every room. Shaw now has one, not sure about all the rooms.
We have a wee little orange kitten that has been out back crying,if we can catch him I would give him a great home.Debb
August 17th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
The Marrowstone shower valve needs to be replaced, it is running pretty good, I gave the couple a bottle of Champagne for their patience plus it is their Honeymoon, they are great.
It would be nice to make some more helpful brochurs on our coffee makers,Also a guide to the T.V. channels.
We had a walk in and they took the Matia for a night maybe 2.That’s it for now.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
SCONE MIX
is ordered, will be here by the end of the week.
TV’s
Seth knows what to do with the extra TV.
August 17th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
COFFEE
Hasn’t been delivered yet today, If we don’t get any by 4:00pm we should go down there and get at least a small bag to tide us over, and confirm that they have an order for us while there.
BAINBRIDGE
The window in the King bedroom is not working someone will stop by tomorrow to fix it.
SCONE MIX
Someone left a message with the call center, but the number they gave is not working I also called the 800 number but had no luck.
TVs
2 TV’s were delivered today One is a backup but I don’t know what the other one is for.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
MONDAY
Elena, please confirm the scone order I phoned in. Use 800-588-9160 (their local number isn’t working).
TUESDAY
Seth and I determined that the Skipjack’s TV receiver is defect, no remote does the trick. Until then, let Skipjack guests know how to manually change channels, the remote still does volume.
Called Brian from our friends at Direct TV. He will send a new box. It will be here Tuesday. Elena, Myah, please call Seth when it gets here.
WEDNESDAY
Debbie, please get a check from Cindy and pick up body care products from the food co-op (Surina business park). If an Earthbox employee is available, you might want to drag him or her along, it’s quite a few items (4x shower gel, 4x conditioner, 4x hand soap).
THURSDAY
Sadie, please put in a food order with Tom. I started a list on the white board. Don’t order hole cases of fruit, we don’t have to and don’t really have enough room to store fruit in this weather.
BLOG
Please blog about above items so I know they have been taken care of. Remember, you are my eyes and ears during the week. Speaking of it: when did the health department come and inspect the hot tub? I need to know those things.
Thank you all for your hard work. It’s the middle of the high season and I know it’s hard sometimes. But remember, our guests now deserve the same attention, smile, helpfulness and compassion we gave our guests back in June. This is their vacation and we will make it memorable and smooth. Go BR!!!
August 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am
WHIDBEY
I spoke with the lady this morning and filled out an incident report. I don’t know if this was done last night or not, but I thought I should just to be safe. I was very apologetic, and offered that if she wanted to go to the Medical Center we would be happy to take care of the costs. She said she was fine and just wanted some ice and for us to make a sign or put something on the step for future guests. I will make a sign (bright Red?) and put it on the step.
August 15th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
#1692087
Has kayak tour with San Juan Excursions in the morning. Elena, can you double check that, pick up spot, etc. I wasn’t really aware SJE does Kayak trips, apparently they do. And let guest know.
WHIDBEY
Our lovely guest in the Whidbey tripped over the little step going into the living room area and fell. Please ask her how she is and if there is anything we can do.
SKIPJACK
TV remote doesn’t respond (sound does, nothing else moves it). I called our good friends at Direct TV, exchanged remotes, but failed to successfully reprogram the remote. Can you do that, Elena?
PATOS
The guests checking into the Patos thought they had 2 beds (Travelocity). I moved them to EB, sold the room for tonight, but we have it for the next 3 nights. Sell away!
KEYS
Please write in the guest remarks how many keys you gave to a guest.
DAILY CHECK LISTS
Please continue to use the daily check lists. And don’t forget the deep cleaning!
Deb, Myah, Elena
I have time cards for you in the back. Please correct and put in safe.
INVOICES
Please put invoices in the safe.
August 14th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
EL ALARMO DEL FIRE
Some more. Soooo, if it goes off again this weekend:
1) Make sure it there is no fire
2) Silence
3) call dispatcher at 378-4151 to let them know it’s a false alarm and the fire department doesn’t have to show up
4) Call Seth to help with resetting, disarming etc.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Good evening, New hot plate wrote the date of purchase on receipt. Morgan did not have time to make cookie dough but butter is thawing.Very busy evening lots of folks looking for lodging, Town is hopping.
August 12th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Lot’s of activity around here!!!
8/11
James from Guardian security was here and gave us instructions for checking the smoke detectors. There is a zone-map in the panel.James really seems to know what he is doing.
Our upstairs computer has viruses and can be removed by someone with administrative powers.
We got a load of groceries yesterday and I put them away according to dates. The yogurt on the top left is dated 09/09 and the yogurt on the left is dated 10/ 09. The melons don’t fit in the fridge.
We have a sweet couple getting married at circle park today, the bride walked out of the hotel in her white dress along a path of rose petals, from our very own rose bush.
I couldn’t check the hot tub because we had a stay over till thurs.
till next time, Myah
August 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
TV
The Patos TV is going out:( so we will need to get it replaced, in the meantime, we have moved the 2nd TV from the Fidalgo into the Patos. Mr. Seth is doing this today:) Laura please ask me about the TV replacement for the Patos.
August 11th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Window washers
The window washers will be arriving on Friday August 21, they will be cleaning windows between 11:00am and 2:00pm. They will on being doing the outside.
Fire Alarm
Hurray, Guardian is back at it again today and trying to fix out little hassle, hopefully by tomorrow it will all be quiet around there.
Have fun at the fair this week..
August 10th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
HI I am having problems with the TV took the manual up to skipjack and patos. Can’t get the entire code in, any suggestions ? We have a full house tonight.
August 10th, 2009 at 1:54 am
What an evening…
I know it’s difficult to believe, but at about 5:55 this evening the fire alarm went off. A couple guys from the fire department immediately came over and checked out each room on the 3rd floor with me. They had come to the conclusion that it was set off by steam coming from the Cypress shower. The alarm was turned off and all went back to normal until 10 minutes later when it went off once again. I went through the same deal with the fire department, who decided to disable the alarm. Everything is fine now, I’ve left messages with Guardian Security letting them know of our false alarms and Seth instructed me over the phone how to turn off the alarm system completely. He will be in tomorrow to work on it.
I allowed Kevin Beach to switch from the Patos to the Shaw since he wanted a private bathroom. For some reason the computer wouldn’t allow me to change his room so I created a new reservation under his name. I deducted what he had already paid for the Patos from the total of the Shaw.
Elena, have a fantastic morning! …with no surprising alarms! Steffi, Your welcome! I’m so glad everything turned out smoothly. And thank you for helping me out. Goodnight, Bird Rock!!
August 9th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
SADIE
You rocked my world tonight. Thank you so much for dealing with the alarm issue so calmly and competently. I really truly appreciate it. You are the best:)
August 9th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Hey all. I left my sunglasses here at the desk on Friday and was wondering if anyone has seen them. Please let me know. They are aviator style with amber/brown lenses. Thanks!
August 9th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
FIRE ALARM
here we went again. Twice tonight, 3rd floor. The fire department shut it off. We’ll have to do walk throughs every half hour. Sadie put more walk through sheets out. Cindy, Laura and I will decide on a course of action tomorrow.
Hang in there, guys, this too shall pass.
August 8th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
COMPUTER
Something really weird just happened. Our computer shut down, while I was working on it. I turned it back on and it said I should switch to an outlet immediately since my battery is low. Mhm. I checked all the connections. We are plugged in, surge suppressor works fine. I guess if you can read this, you won’t have an issue. I’ll leave a message with Chris, hoping this is not some indication that the computer is on its way out.
August 8th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
ELENA
Will you call Tom tomorrow and order the things on the white board for Tuesday, please? Feel free to add if you see fit. Please blog about it so I know it’s done. Thank you.
TRAP
We caught some, we caught some. It’s working. There is a new herb shop at the Surina Park. I’ll try to get some rue from there.
HOLE PUNCHER
Can’t find it. Anybody?
THE SPIEL
We had several guests getting parking tickets today and yesterday, as well as somebody who had no idea about the pool and hot tub use at Earthbox.
Please make sure to mention the following things to EVERY guest upon check in:
KEYS (for room, for front door, for pool at EB)
BREAKFAST (from 8-10 in the lobby)
PARKING (2 hour street parking around the hotel, 8 hour at the court house, limitless at Earthbox)
CHECK OUT (is at 11AM)
REMOTES (one for TV, one for fan & lights)
ESPRESSO MAKER (little description by cups)
EARPLUGS (and why)
…and please don’t forget to write in the guest comments how many keys you gave to each guest.
It’s the wedding weekend. All the pretty people. It’s still not sure if it wants to rain or not. I wouldn’t mind. It’s so cold at night, but we can’t make a fire because everything is so bone dry.
August 8th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
THE REMEDY (not just an awesome song by Jason Mraz)
but I finally found one for our fruit flies, Steffi will try and track down some Rue (herb) for us. Fruit flies hate the stuff. For now though all fruit should stay off the counter so that the fruit flies will fall into my ingeniously devised trap( cue evil laugh) Melons and oranges are in the small black fridge.
August 6th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
CHOCOLATE CHIPS
We are down to the last few cups of the little yummies, unless there is a stash I don’t know about.
HOT TUB GUY
Mr. cute hot tub guy gave me the low down on how to keep it sparkling clean. I love chemistry projects.
ORCAS ORCAS EVERYWHERE
Guests are thrilled to see so many whales today on their kayak trips. I heard there was a calf on one side of the boats, and the mother dove under them and popped up on the other side. It was a thrill and a half.
THANK YOU
…Sadie and Debbie, you know what for. xoxox
August 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
WORK 4 ME ?
Hey gals and guys, I took an extra day this week, and would love it if one of you would want to work for me this Thurs 3-11.(8/6)
Let me know. 378 3668. Fanks.
Myah Papaya
August 5th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Whew wee, Very Very Busy, Thanks to Olga who continued to help with everything, we are getting caught up. Elena we need to get a lot of Vouchers made up please, Need one for A kayak trip for today.Cypress had a noisy night with trucks.#1744738.Fire Alarms seem to be working just fine thanks Seth.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:15 am
HOT TUB
Debbie and I have not gotten the 411 on the hot tub yet. While we are on the subject, I think it would be a spiffy idea to have a big-oll umbrella over the hot tub, for…ur, privacy. If not an umbrella maybe some vines, or a couple dozen balloons. Just a thought.
CAMODE
Being a person who lives on property with a low yeild well, I have become very water conscious. I have noticed that when the lobby toilet flushes(and it has been a bit dicey lately) it gobbles up a lot of water. Where is all that water going? Anyway….
So many happy and interesting guests here at the Bird Rock Hotel.
SHINE
Debbie, it looks so good in here, it really shines! Bueno.
All is well, all is right.August full moon tomorrow…awooooooo!!!
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Ahem. Please look AT….. and PUT them ….
Sorry.
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
ELENA & DEBBIE
Please look ate the time cards in the luggage room, tell us when you clocked out on those, then out them in the safe, please.
ELENA & DEBBIE
Please set some time aside tomorrow for the hot tub chemicals. Blog me about it, so I know it’s done. Thank you.
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 am
KEYS
Let’s go back to writing in the guest remark section how many keys we checked out. Let’s start tomorrow.
Elena, thanks for working on a key inventory. Let me know when to call the locksmith.
Everybody was so happy today. Just a house full of happy, glowing, lovely people, a real joy to be around and rather contagious. Thank you, Bird Rock guests.
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I’ll come early next Saturday, Elena.
Also, what happened with 1707597, why the gift certificate? Can you please email me about that? Thank you.
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:29 am
NEVERMIND
Ooops Sadie you can disregard my earlier blog about coming in early on Friday, I meant it to be for Steffi on Saturday. Can you come in early please? We have a big wedding party and I have to be down there by 3:30
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 am
HOT TUB
Elena will you set some time aside on Monday & Tuesday during shift change, to go over the hot tub chemicals with Deb & Myah, please? Please blog about it, so I’ll know. Thank you.
FIRE ALARM
Please use the property walk through log on the front desk and initial every half hour when you do a walk through.
MONDAY
Please bring the outgoing mail to the post office on Monday.
SADIE
Please call me at 1 on Thursday and we’ll do a fun fun food order.
Great job, everybody.
August 1st, 2009 at 7:13 pm
LEGION ROOM HOLD
Thanks Myah for holding the rooms for the Legion, you did the right thing. I actually tried to call you right back yesterday, but the phone kept going to the call center.
I hope you Bird Rockstars are having a great day…enjoying the cooler weather.
August 1st, 2009 at 4:57 pm
SPA
Was horrible today is everyone remembering to check it? I had to empty half the water and redo all the chemicals. If the guests ask why it is still a little cloudy just let them know that the majority of the water is new and all the chemicals should be on point.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:53 am
KEYS
I have started a project for the keys basically because I am very tired of making keys on the spot while guests are checking in. But we need to be really, really sure that we are monitoring the keys. Is the log not working? Does anyone have some suggestions on how it might work better?
SCHEDULE
Can anyone trade with me to work Tuesday night? I would really appreciate it. Also SADIE can you come in a little early on Friday? We are hosting a private party at the place and I will need to be there by 3:30. Thanks
July 31st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I left msgs for Laura with regards to the Legion’s room reservations, but I went ahead and booked Shannon the 3 rooms he wanted and put them on his card. He will want to eventually put the rest of the cost on the Legion’s card.The rooms are: Marrowstone,Spiden and Orcas, for the 10th of Aug.
July 31st, 2009 at 5:34 pm
KEYS
I called Kyle, the locksmith and left a message to please stop by and make some more Saltspring keys and 5 more masters. Raquel said some Housekeeper’s masters don’t open all doors.
FIRE ALARM
Elena, can you please print out your walk-through log. All, please initial the log every half hour when you do your walk through. This too shall pass.
Keep your spirits up, t’is the season, yeah!
July 31st, 2009 at 5:22 pm
ALARM AGAIN
This time they had the fire trucks revved up and ready to roll! After much investigation and loud screaming alarm checks, Chief Vern decided to dis-arm the alarm, so now we must go on fire patrol every half hour and fill out a log. hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
BATH CHAIR
Is here in a box, I’ll let Seth know
BATH MAT
The one in the tub for the shared bathroom looks like it needs to be retired.Really.
July 30th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Good Evening, There is a note here to Laura & Adam from some folks that stayed w/ us sometime ago. They use to get email from the hotel.And would like to again, note is in the receipt file. Very busy afternoon. More cookies in the freezer, and everything fully stocked.The Saltspring is having a key issue,But have 2 working back ups.Looks like it is an amazing sunset.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
ESPRESSO PODS
are on the way.
ADA BATHTUB CHAIR
is also on the way. We got it for an upcoming reservation in the Bainbridge. Our guest has a little trouble walking and I promised we would provide it. Please blog when it comes, call Seth if it needs assembling and keep in our bathroom, so we all know where it is when she comes.
FIRE ALARM
Our troubles are almost over. Hang in there.
Thank you all for your hard work. Our reviews on Trip Advisor are terrific thanks to you, you, you!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Fire alarm
since there has been so much trouble in fixing the fire alarm, any time it goes off we need to silence it and then call Seth.
HOT HOT HOT but everyone seems to be okay for the night
July 29th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
FIRE ALARM
Yet AGAIN, a false alarm at 7:33pm,I went to the third floor checked around all okay, silenced, reset and called the monitoring station. They were no help. I am hoping it doesn’t go off agian tonight
July 28th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Welcome to the Hot-Rock Hotel!
Uni-rez did that weird thing again. # 592643490197, in the Sucia 8/25-8/28. I did not fix it.
Wanna know a cool trick? If the hot plate won’t work, reset the GFI (red button) on the outlet.
I love setting up for myself for the next day. Good scheduling trick Steffi.
Thank you Elliott for all the fans for the rooms here. The guests are quite happy with the addition of moving air.
All is well, all is right.
July 28th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Another false fire alarm, turned off pretty quickly.Frank from The Fire house thinks it is maybe coming from an outside source. Maybe a fan or something up there to keep the air moving. Guest are hot but seemingly happy.Gave the garden plants an extra dose of water. I am going swimming in my pool as soon as I get home.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Espresso pods
The housekeepers are down to only one box of regular coffee for all three floors. Laura can you please order some? Raquel says to please not order this item from Gerard.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Yeah. Thanks Carla. In the future just put the voucher in the second drawer of the safe and I’ll submit it to Cindy for payment.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Hey Steffi, the cash drawer is short $100 because I paid “The Place” for the gift voucher. I was planning on putting it in the blog, but the fire alarm kept going off and it was a crazy on Wednesday. Sorry.
July 26th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
$$
I just reconciled our cash and we are $100 short, even. Anybody? There is a gift certificate for the Place, issues by Elena from the Bird Rock Staff, for $100 in the cash drawer. Does that have something to do with it? Please let me know.
July 26th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Clouds, light rain, huge rainbow, thunder, lighting, big fat summer rain drops, bright pink sky and out. Wow. Thank you, island.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
NO SHOW
When you close and you have a now show:
1) call the guest
2) If you can’t reach them, let night manager know you have a now show
3) Print out receipt of no show (don’t charge card) and leave on desk, writing NO SHOW real big on it.
If you come in in the morning and see the invoice saying NO SHOW, check the room, see if it was indeed a no show. If yes and we haven’t heard anything, email me (or Cindy on my weekend) and we’ll figure out what’s going on.
COMPLAINTS
If you have a guest complaint and the need for a manager response, email me (or Cindy on my weekend) with details about the complaint. We will get back to the guest within 48 hours.
PATIO FURNITURE
Does not come inside the lobby. It scratches the floor.
FRUIT
If there is a little blemish on a whole fruit, cut blemish out, wrap fruit in plastic, put back in fridge. We are throwing out fruit which doesn’t need to go.
July 25th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Eggs?
If we have a full house please make sure that there is at least one egg per person 2 dozen eggs is not enough on a very full day we should have at least 4 dozen HB eggs
July 25th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
WHAT?
something very confusing happened today. I tried to deal with it the best I could but at this point am just waiting (its all I can do) Rez’s 1578407 & 1578427 (same person) were made and canceled for the wrong dates. The worst part about this is that… Although the woman did not stay with us this past Thursday, she is marked as checked-in/Out and her credit card was charged with no notes or indication that she was a no-show ????? While her reservation which should have been for Today was canceled on April 23rd, though she never called to cancel it. The possible solution is that there was absolutely no luggage left in the Lopez today (which was a stay-over) I had housekeeping clean it as if it were a check-out and called and left a message at the phone number on file, I am hoping to hear back from her so that we can possible give them the room.
July 24th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
SMOKE
I received a heads up about the aroma of some curious smoke from the salt spring. I needed to go down there to have the guest sign the invoice anyway,so I put an end to the problem while I was visiting.
Fun Fun Fun…
The guests in the Lopez and ….other rooms are totally having a blast here. They are really enjoying the patio and each other. love it.
July 24th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
ME ME ME
heads up: I injured my back (again). So I won’t be the mopping and deep cleaning queen this weekend. Would you help me out, Elena?
See you tomorrow:)
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Kira called regarding our smoke detector’s She is sending a replacement . Seth told her we have someone who will install it. Lots of fun folks here and using the beautiful garden for good times until dinner.
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Hi guys,
Steffi will put up our summer target numbers as a way for you to earn some extra cash this summer. Check it out.
Laura
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
WOW! What a crazy morning. The fire alarm has been going off all morning. The firefighters have been here 3 times. Each time it would go off, it would say “3rd story smokes” All is well though, we are in the process of fixing the problem. Talked with a tech from Guardian Security, we are going to clean out the alarm (Seth is on his way down here.)
BATHROOM SIGN
Elena, I love your yoga lady sign in the bathroom, you are so talented making our cute little signs all over. Oh, and a big thank you for helping me silence the alarm this morning, yikes.
ORCAS GUESTS
They will be leaving on the redeye, I made them cute little bags of yogurt and eggs to take on the ferry with them, they are very grateful, they know to grab them out of the lobby refrigerator in the morning.
SPA GUY
He was here today and said all is well.
FOOD ORDERED
Hooray for me, I just placed my first food order! Wahoo! I wrote down everything that I ordered on the whiteboard in the kitchen. We are rockstars!
Have a super rest of the week.
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hello, Pretty mellow evening. Very busy with the phones the first 3 hours..The folks from the Marrowstone were delighted and chose to have dinner at the Place. Lots of Happy Campers….
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Hi all, I am making a new policy, you need to take out the bathroom garbage at the end of each shift, so if you are the am person, you take the bathroom garbage out before you leave and if you are the pm person you take the bathroom garbage out before you leave. This is a nice curtsy for the next person.
Thanks so much…
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:00 am
MARROWSTONE
Well I am now seriously thinking about quitting and starting up my own crime scene cleaning business. Just kidding. One of the guests in the Marrowstone had a bit of an accident. I am going to leave it all in an email so I don’t have to go into the gristly details here. Either way the folks in the Marrowstone are really nice so please be nice to them as well. The email explains why their rug is out on the back porch drying.
PATOS
The guest in the Patos didn’t want all the extra pillows and bathrobes to clutter up her small space. I put three pillows, two bathrobes, and the comforter from the Patos on the table just inside the housekeeping room on the second floor. She was also concerned that she couldn’t tun on the outdoor light by her porch door. The only light switch I am aware of is the one by the guest computer. I changed the light bulb but that didn’t do anything. The light outside the Skipjack was off as well. Anyone have any clue as to where you turn those other two lights on? Incidentally the light in the “emergency stairway” was off as well.
July 21st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
COOKIES
I have to agree with Carla. I am not too hot on this new cookie recipe. They come out flat and crumbly. Even after letting them cool completely they just fall apart. Why couldn’t we continue using Elena’s tried and true recipe. If it’s something she is proud of then personally I don’t think we should be giving the recipe out to guests. We could just coyly refer to it as a closely guarded house secret. I’ve told guests this in the past and they smile and take it in a good nature. Plus for some returning guests it’s like a special treat to look forward to. Their favorite cookie they just can’t get anywhere else. Just my two cents.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
COOKIES
I know this is going to sound silly, but I am a little confused on the cookie recipe issue. Is the recipe on the refrigerator the one we are using now? It is different from the old one and it is hard to read at the bottom. The batch came out really creamy and not as thick, it is hard to get into balls. Why are we not using the regular recipe? Also, I cannot find the orange peel grater, so the batch I just made is without orange peel…..
July 21st, 2009 at 12:40 am
Mornin,
Just one little thing. A guest left a tan fleece jacket in their room. I couldn’t find any Post San Juan forms while I was talking to her so I wrote it all down on a sticky note. We need to take it up to PSJ tomorrow.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up. Yeah!
July 20th, 2009 at 12:18 am
….then the fire chief came, woke everybody up again, inspected all 3rd floor rooms and determined that it was indeed a false alarm….
….Nothing like a 6’5″ guy in uniform barking “did anybody smoke in here?” to enforce the non-smoking policy, wow.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am
FIRE ALARM
went off at 10PM. Said trouble on 3rd floor. I inspected all rooms, all is good. Elena reset the alarm.
July 19th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
CANCELLATION POLICY
I added “packages, adventures and massages you may have booked through us…” to the cancellation policy on our confirmation letter. And, as Elena said, please make sure to point out that add-ons have the same cancellation policy as the room reservation. I took care of the unhappy guests.
SCONE MIX
Will be here tomorrow. I got some from King’s to tied us over.
July 19th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
SHAW
MYSTERY SOLVED
they guests were sure they were booked for three nights. I moved and upgraded them to the Lopez at the same rate, since it was our mistake. Please repeat the dates back to the guests when making a reservation so that everyone is on the same page.
July 19th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
REZ # 1597244 & 1597245
LOTS-O-SNAFUS with these two reservations First they are upset that they were charged for the kayak tour they canceled last night, mostly because no one explained the cancellation SJO’s cancellation policy to them, and then they thought they were only staying two nights and were actually booked for 3, but they showed me a confirmation letter where they were originally booked for only 2 nights but our change log doesn’t show and date changes for this rez? In any case they said if we don’t refund them they are going to contest the charges with their credit card. Steffi can you call them, please?
MAX OCCUPANCY
REZ # 1696797 has 3 adults booked into the SHAW with “Rollaway” EEEEeeek. I know the note says they are okay with having three adults, but this is not the major issue the most important thing to remember is that we have maximum occupancy for fire code and becuase wear and tear is really increased when you are putting extra people into these rooms.
SCONE MIX
We are 100% OUT, should we do a grocery run for this?
BREAD
someone dropped off bread today but no invoice? was this supposed to be brought yesterday?
SHAW
Eeek it is 1:00 an no sign of these guests that were supposed to check-out today. I called then number on file and left a message. Please let people know at check-in that check-out is at 11:00 (Bainbridge was also out and didn’t come back until 12:45 to check-out)
July 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
PRINTER
For now there is an option call A-Print that you can select when printing so that it will use the color cartridge. Use this until we can get more black ink.
POLICIES (NOT ONLY OURS)
Please remember to communicate to our guests not only our cancellation policies but those of kayak, whale watch charters and the spa. Otherwise we end up with unhappy guests like today.
July 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
PRINTER
You guys, we are completely out of ink. It’s the weekend, no way to get any. I need you to be my eyes and ears during the week. What you don’t blog or email, I don’t know. Please end each shift with WSNTK (what Steffi needs to know).
ADVERTISEMENT
We don’t display advertisement in the lobby or the front desk counter. We keep some information behind the front desk upon request. Please let advertisers know when they bring in flyers.
MONDAY
Sadie, will you please peel away on Monday before the post office closes and mail the yellow big envelope on the back desk. It’s time sensitive. Thank you.
Morgan, I wanted you to play pay per view, but we are sold out. When you come in and have room which isn’t occupied yet, please go ahead and order a movie. Email Laura, Cindy and I what happened. Thank you.
WEDNESDAY
Elena, will you please get a check from Cindy and pick up shower gel from the food co-op. The order should be in around 1. Thank you.
THURSDAY
Carla, please call me at EB around 1 and we put together an order for Tom (needs to happen before 2).
Please continue to use the daily lists. Thanks for your hard work.
July 18th, 2009 at 11:17 am
COOKIES
Yes, I made that note. WHY? (response to my note) Because it is not the original recipe we used to use, I have tweaked, and changed it over the years little by little and I have a lot of pride in this being my little secret, I posted the original recipe which you are welcome to give out, but Please don’t give out mine. Sorry if this sounds greedy, just a little pride of ownership I guess. Thanks
July 18th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Hello, Sadie will work for me on Monday I will be here at 1:00 until 3:30, Thanks Sadie. Pretty swell evening all in all. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Debb
July 17th, 2009 at 11:07 am
COOKIE RECIPE
Yes!! Please feel free to give the cookie recipe out to anyone who would like them.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Cookie recipe, is this not to be given out when the guest ask for the recipe, I just noticed a note on the fridge I had made some copies.Just checking.I am still hoping someone can cover for me Monday morning. Good Night all.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Phone call from guest she got home and found a key belonging to the Bainbridge it will be in the mail tomorrow.
July 16th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Hi guys , We have a gal Donna who is staying in Saltspring on her 25th wedding anniversary.Her girlfriend died while she was here she is very sad and to boot she lost a favorite earring.Silver square and 1/2 inch tall.I went through the vacuume no cigars…If anyone finds it that would be awesome.
Bruce came by earlier and put in the new part to our dishwasher.It is working just fine.Ok enough for now.
Debbie
July 16th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
EAR PLUGS & PRINTER INK
are ordered.
ADA BATH TUB CHAIR
I also ordered an ADA plastic chair to put in a bath tub. We have a guest staying with us in the Bainbridge in late August, she will need it. Please blog when it comes, so I have Seth assemble it.
July 16th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
MORGAN
On Monday, 7/20 when you work at Bird Rock, will you please order a bunch of pay per view and see if we can get that to work for our guests?
July 16th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
SCONE MIX
ordered
VOUCHERS
there are in “my documents” – “bird rock forms & templates” – “adventure vouchers”
July 15th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Good Evening, Need someone to trade a shift on Monday the 20th I am scheduled at Windermere 8:30 – 1:00. Thanks. Cleaning like a crazy woman, we will need more scone mix . Left a message for more coffee.Beautiful evening and great tunes.Aloha
July 14th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Good afternoon Bird Rockers! Just a couple of things to note….
VOUCHERS
I have searched this computer high and low, and cannot find any Bird Rock Vouchers to print more for our binder. We are low on Western Prince, and San Juan Outfitters…
SAN JUAN OUTFITTERS
Brian from SJO called today. We had a guest cancel at the last minute. He was ok with it, but he does normally need 48 hours notice or he will charge the hotel. Good for us all to know to let guests know.
#532614022035
Guest had to cancel at the last minute. I explained that he could get charged if we did not fill the room. If we have to charge him, just call and let him know.
On a lighter note…..I love this hotel, I love the rooms, the colors, the art, the atmosphere! The Bird Rock “rocks!”
July 13th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Yes, thank you Carla, for staying the Bird Rocking queen until 4. Myah, I think we mis-communicated, not biggy, we’ll do better next time. Thanks for showing up the night before your finals (good luck, we know you will do great).
Carla,
down at BRrrrr you don’t have to take credit cards from folks when they check out bikes, because we are right there, seeing them when they come back and all. Just to let you know.
Peace out!
July 13th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Dearest, Carla, Morgan and Steffi,(anyone I missed)
Thanks sooo sosoosososososoo much for covering me today, I didn’t know I was on the schedule.
You are so understanding and I owe you the favor.
After all that, it’s totally quiet now.
Figures.
I’m gonna go make cookie dough.
Myah
July 13th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Today has been a very, busy, busy, busy, busy day…whew!
DISHWASHER
All is working A-OK, no leaks and sparkling clean dishes! Wahoo!
IPOD
Thanks again to Morgan who has officially saved my day, he fixed the frozen Ipod, and I now have music back in the lobby. I was going insane with all the silence. In the future, here is the trick. You lay the Ipod down flat, make sure the hold button is on, use two pens to hold down the middle button and the menu button at the same time until the screen turns black, it will reboot itself.
FOOD
Went to Kings today and bought some eggs and bread to get us through until Wednesday.
JETTED TUBS
What I did learn from Seth today is that our jetted tubs have a cleaning cycle after someone uses it. It will make noises about 15 minutes after someone uses it. I guess that we have a sign posted in the rooms, but I never noticed it.
July 12th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
DISHWASHER
Makes dishes sparkling clean, but leaked a little today. Will you all keep an eye on that and blog if it happens again, please?
INVOICES
For some reason we can’t print invoices from WRP. When you click on the PDF nothing happens. WRP works fine otherwise, other things print just fine. Mhm. I wrote tech support from our front desk email. Please let me know what they say.
SHAW
Is so hot. I tried a new trick (well, it ain’t that new, really): box fan in window. Will you ask the guests if that helped a little?
COOKIE DOUGH
We’ll need some tomorrow. Carla, Myah, who will do us the honors?
We are also low on toast and may need some more eggs. Don’t forget to pull the jam out of the freezer before we run out (needs a day at least to defrost).
OUR FABULOUS GUESTS
Two of our guests went to the Duck Soup in tonight for dinner ON OUR BEACH CRUISERS!! I was so impressed. They say it was hard, but worth it. Yeah, guests!
July 12th, 2009 at 12:21 am
FOOD
Please use the small yogurts in the big fridge first, then the bigger yogurts in the small fridge(that’s like a poem, isn’t it?).
Also, please use the granola in the white bucket under the cuisine art first, before opening new bags.
Got a thermometer for the lobby fridge.
FAXES
We get faxes from travel agents asking for their commission payments. I need to reconcile those. I find them all over the place, in the garbage, under the luggage room shelf, laying on top of the printer. Please put those in my box. Thank you!
SHAW 8/25/09
There is an email in our in-box from a guest who canceled (done), asking for a confirmation for her friend for the Shaw on 8/25. There is no reservation for the friend. I left a message with the canceled guest. Just to let you know.
What a day. So warm and wonderful and a house full of happy guests, yeah!
Oh, check out Trip Advisor, we got 3 new ones in July, all fabulous. Bird Rocking staff, you rock! Thank you so much.
July 11th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
CANCELLATION
1583690 canceled a four night stay he will be coming to the island but broke up with GF and will now stay with his sister on the island, I told him any portion we could re-rent he wouldn’t be responsible for, please call him if we do or don’t re-rent the room and charge accordingly.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Hello everyone!
It’s been a busy, busy day. Always something to do. Steffi, I talked to Linda Turner on the phone today about her interest in booking 6 different rooms in August. She was wanting to talk about her options and possible discounts for booking several rooms. I suggested she speak with you, since I wasn’t able to answer some of her questions. Would you please give her a call when you have a chance? She can be reached at 505.988.2131 Thank you!
Enjoy the sunshine!
July 9th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
YEAH SADIE!
Sadie rocked the house today. Everything was so sparkling clean, filled, scrubbed, prepared. We got inspected by the Health Department and we got, oh yes, 100%. Thank you so much. You made my day.
HEALTH INSPECTION
Everybody please check if their food handler’s card is expired or expiring soon.
The inspector suggested to serve melons on ice in the morning, since they can go bad fast.
We need a thermometer for the lobby fridge. I’ll buy that over the weekend. And that’s all.
SCHEDULE
I’m sorry, guys. That was supposed to go up on Monday. If it’s still not here tomorrow, please call me at EB and I bring one down.
MATIA
Was a Unirez and the guests didn’t expect the shared bath. Sadie, will you send the housekeepers up to tidy, the guests weren’t in there long. I upgraded them.
SAN JUAN BALCONY FLOWERS
Sadie, can you please let the house keepers know to water the flowers on the San Juan balcony regularly. Our gardener came by today and said they look thirsty.
MYAH
There is an envelope for you on the front desk:)
HOUSE
Guys, I need a place to live. Will you keep your eyes and ears open for me, please? We (as if you didn’t know) have a dog and are looking for something small and old outside of town.
July 9th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Test
July 9th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Luggage rack in the Whidbey fell apart when guest tried to use it. TV in bedroom no signal I am going down to trouble shoot. oh Boy.
July 9th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Thanks Earth Box for your help in Splitting the bill on the Bainbridge. Really I am getting it. slowly…No split folio’s….Nice evening all in all. Only 2 rooms left to sell tonight.Have a good one and see you all next week.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
All is well here on this rainy day!
DISHWASHER
Morgan, you are a rockstar! Thanks for all the info on the dishwasher. The place looked great this morning even though you had that pounding migraine! I tried using 3/4 of the soap when running the morning dishes. All came out sparkling clean, I think we should try 1/2 the soap next time.
SCHEDULE
Can we get a new schedule down here for the next two weeks, thanks!
See ya here next week!
July 8th, 2009 at 12:47 am
DISHWASHER
Bruce came in a took a look at the dishwasher. The inlet for the water pump was clogged with all sorts of detritus. Lots of toothpicks, paper, egg shells, broken glass, and other gunk. The blade that was supposed to chop all this stuff up was broken. Probably the glass snapped it. He said that while we don’t need to pre-wash the dishes before we put them in, we do need to try and scrape off as much of the big stuff as possible. If we want he thinks we should pick-up a bottle of “Dishwasher Magic” from the store and run it with it in. It’ll dissolve some of the mineral build-up we have. Along those lines he also mentioned that since town water is so “soft” we probably only need to be using half a measure of soap in the dispensers. Bruce will order us a new blade, he says it should be pretty cheap. I put a very small load in to test but it will be done after I close. Carla could you assess the cleanliness of the dishes to determine it’s all good? Thanks.
SAN JUAN
The TV in the San Juan all of a sudden stopped outputting sound and the screen took on a seriously purple tint. Thanks to help from Elena, pressing the reset button on the receiver fixed everything. Gotta love the magic little red button.
ETC
-I have a had gnarly migraine that started a few hours ago. I took meds and drank water. However, I also downed some caffeine to see if it would help. In that regard, whomever left an unopened Diet Coke on the kitchen counter, I owe you a replacement. Just let me know.
-Sorry I didn’t make any cookie dough. We have enough to get us through a day or two but it needs to be made.
PS. I am blaming that gods-awful stargazer lilly for my migraine.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
San Juan and Spiden have regular coffee makers in them.
The dishwasher is still a topic of conversation, but has not been repaired as far as I know.
rain, rain, welcome rain!
July 6th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Monday evening, Guest arrived for the Matia had requested twins beds but it wasn’t made up. Called Raquel she came in Thank goodness.We also need remote switch for the fan & light over the computer.Pretty Chilly one gal even had her fireplace turned on. thanks Raquel’s husband for getting it turned on.
July 5th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
SHAW
Needs to be cleaned, please let HK know. Guest was so hot, she really wanted to move.
SALTSPRING
Please all read #1648820. The Saltspring is like a studio apartment, no separate bedroom. Please make sure to make that very clear when renting to more than a 2 adults or folks with kids.
LABELER
Found.
HOT PLATE
Found the second one. Debbie, please try to cook eggs with the old one first. If it doesn’t heat up for you either, use the new one and throw the old one out. Thank you.
DISHWASHER
Ohhhh boy. I did dishes by hand today. Seemed to take less time than washing them, putting them in the dishwasher and then washing them again. If you decide to do this, don’t forget to sanitize: fill buss tub with cold water and a cap of bleach. Put washed dishes in there before you let them air dry. Cindy wrote that a new dishwasher is on the way. Yeah! Thank you.
CHECK OUTS
Please don’t forget to check folks out in WRP.
AAA DISCOUNT
Just a reminder, we do not have AAA discounts here at BR.
SADIE – FOOD ORDER – THURSDAY
Sadie, please order food from Tom on Thursday before 2. I started you a list on the white board. Just do like we did last week. Call me at home if you have questions. Thank you.
MORGAN
Debbie will be here at 2PM tomorrow, so you can do a decent shift change and be on time for our fabulous, long awaited, exciting EB front desk staff meeting.
Have a great week everybody and thank you so much for your fabulous work over this busy holiday.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
LABEL MAKER
I can’t seem to find it
TEARS IN COUCHES
SAN JUAN, SUCIA< BAINBRIDGE sofas all have tears in the corners of the arms are starting to tear, do they have any sort of warranty?
July 5th, 2009 at 12:47 am
ORCAS TUB
Guest says bubbles don’t come on. Elena, can you check at check-out, please? We have another check in tomorrow. Wrote maintenance slip just in case.
Fire works were fabulous, but not very long.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
HOTPLATE
Seems to be on the fritz. I was able to boil enough eggs for tomorrow. Elena, can you ask your mom where the second hotplate is, please? Laura bought two way back when.
Fireworks are about to start…uuuhhh….aaahhhh…
July 4th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
GUARD SUNDSTROM SAVED THE DAY
So today the bees left by the garbage can started to hive again and became really aggressive. It freaked people out. I called the sheriff again and he made it very clear that today was not the day he is going to be dealing with bees. Not knowing what to do I left a message with Guard. He is a beekeeper and sheep farmer, you all know him from the framer’s market. Last week I was out at his farm to watch the slaughter and he showed me a renegade bee hive of his own. I left a message not expecting to hear from him. 10 minutes later he was here to assess the situation. He said since the queen was gone those poor bee boys remaining will die, no other hive will take them in. They were freaked out. It hurt both of our hearts to kill honey bees, but it was their destiny at this point. He killed most of them with a magazine. The rest of them are disbursing. This is sad, but the hive is safe, the queen lives. Thank you, Guard!
DISHWASHER
is going. Hang in there. I’ll email Cindy and Laura for advice.
LIGHTS
Make sure when you do your nightly walk through that all the stairwell lights remain on, so nobody stumbles in the dark.
OPENING/CLOSING CHECK LISTS
This worked well. Let’s continue doing this. I printed out some more forms (in my box).
Happy 4th everybody!
July 4th, 2009 at 12:50 am
The bees have either gone to sleep or gone to Herb’s.
# 9 bike has a bad back axle.
Parking, will they enforce the law on the 4th? Curious guests want to know.
Stemware is looking a little cloudy, the dish washer is not good at getting orange juice of glass.I buffed some with a paper towel and they shined up like a new penny.
Have too much fun tomorrow.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:03 pm
BEES
We had a lost bee hive in the tree outside BR. The sheriff, firefighters and a beekeeper came and moved the majority away. The area is taped off and lot’s of bees are remaining in and around the garbage can.I called the sheriff, he says there is not much he can do since nobody from the town will be around this weekend. So, inform our guests. If somebody is scared or allergic and concerned, offer them to move to EB, we have 1 room left for tomorrow (Earth).
PRINTER
I fixed it. Yeah!
Keep up the good work, everybody.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
ADD-ONS
Hey wonderful ones. See #1698002. When booking an add-on, please write all pertinent info in the guest remark section (under “edit”), don’t use the alarm for that info. Use only the subject line in alarm to alert us if something needs to be done. All other info goes in the guest remark section.
Thank you. Have a great 4th of July weekend. Call me if you need me.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
We are completely booked for the 4th of July weekend. Been referring to Earthbox a lot. Nice weather great for our parade and The University of Washington band will be here.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:59 am
Blog Blog Blog Blog Blog
Not much to report. Lots of folks here who are changing rooms tomorrow or the next. Looks like the back room will be nice and full of luggage.
I fixed the iPod. We haz muzik.
Food order came in a day early. Using my massive and sturdy spacial awareness skills I managed to find a good place for everything. The new yogurt is in the little fridge. As per Elena-oujo-chan’s warning I turned up the thermostat a bit so you won’t have frozen yogurt in the morning. I cleaned out the big freezer so you have a lot more space in there now for whatever. Stock has been rotated in the fridge so the newer stuff is in the back. New grapes are in the drawer and the older ones are on the door.
Hopefully everything is right. Have a good one all!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
The San Juan has a regular coffee maker in the room, espresso maker was leaking water.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Thanks Steffi for facilitating and adding to our meeting.Thanks Elena for raising the bar so high, I agree, it was a positive mingling of the minds and if you guys are doing another one, with or with out bloody marys, I want to come too.
On another note, the espresso maker in the SJS is leaking water.The guest was in the Cypress last night and liked the espresso maker, so I may do some switching around tomorrow. I’ll leave a note.
I got two cans out to the curb for pick up Tue. but the others are too heavy to drag, need some muscle down here or another person.
I am having trouble with the music here, is the i-pod on the blink?
That’s it for now, all is well.
Myah
June 29th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
MEETING(S)(SES)
Thank you Bird Rocking Goddesses for the meetings today. I found them productive and honest and I love you all. Deb, Elena & I will have a make up meeting soon (shall we do Gin & Tonic or Bloody Mary’s?).
FOOD
Starting this week I would like the Thursday morning person (Sadie this week) to order food for the weekend (needs to be done before 2). Sadie, give me a call at EB around 1 and we’ll determine together what we’ll need. I will make a ordering list next weekend and soon we all will get a feel for what we’ll need.
June 29th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Thanks Elena for training me this morning. Breakfast was fun, it was even better because you are a professional baker like Martha Stewart! Hee! Hee! Can’t wait to go to the co-op on Wednesday!
June 28th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
ELENA – WEDNESDAY – SHAMPOO
Elena, will you and Carla go over to the food co-op on Wednesday, 7/1 at 1:30 and pick up 4 gallons of shampoo. Bring exact cash. The total is $89.72. Muchas Gracias.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:22 am
#1516403
I have a call in to her, regarding which of her 2 reservations is correct. We need to follow up on that.
HOTELS.COM
There are no, zero reviews of us on that website, also none under the old name. The guest must have been mistaken.
THE BRITISH
are all here. I don’t think there is anybody left in England. I love love love the accent. Keep talking to me, lovely guests!
Also: didn’t find the debit card one of our British guests is missing.
RACK CARDS/ RATE SHEETS
Made new rate sheets, can’t find any rack cards. Maybe we are out?
Delightful day here on the rock. Sold out solid over 4th of July weekend as of tonight, yeah!
June 26th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Cooling off big time, So I feel like a real nummy nut getting locked out the back, might be a good idea to leave back door unlock during business hours.Thanks for rescuing me Morgan.Been a steady busy evening one room left for the taking. Aloha
June 26th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Some wedding guest are checking in tomorrow.Gift bags are in Back room.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
BIRD ROCK MEETING
We will have another front desk meeting at 2PM on Monday, 6/29. Please be there.
June 26th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
The guests,in the whidbey has stored her ring in a ring-box and a necklace in a box in our safe while she and her hubby are out adventuring.
Phone charger found in the SJS, 6/26, res # 1656931,I called the number we have for them and left a msg.
We are really busy, and having a lot of fun!!!
June 24th, 2009 at 12:23 am
VOUCHER FOLDER
Had some minor work done, seems it was not happy with all the “sagging” and “tearing”… it was feeling old and outdated, basically it had let itself go a little. seriously though I printed some more vouchers, changed the vouchers from Friday Harbor house to The Bluff and added a file for it with log, all sorts of good things. Now she feels like new! Check her out!
PLUS FOUR FOR BREAKFAST
we had another confusion through a unirez booking where a guest was able to book four into the Skipjack. Laura offered to still have them for breakfast here so count on an extra four for breakfast.
BABY REFRIGERATOR
some OJ exploded in there, its all cleaned up now but I did turn it down (colder). ideally the OJ and Lemonade should be frozen otherwise it won’t keep as long.
THE FOURTH OF JULY
I made a sign that we an post up for the day before and of the 4th with all the major activities of the day, it is in my box ready to go!
MMMM COOKIE DOUGH!!!
I made some more last night, we go through it so fast. I just left the balls to freeze overnight. Please bag it in the AM if you have time.
THANKS DEBBIE
Thanks for all the great notes today at shift change!
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
Good Morning, We will need a crib for Sunday July 6th ,Not sure if we have them here. Lots to do this morning and looking forward to wonderful sunny day.
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:17 pm
SCHEDULE
I had to change the schedule a little. Morgan will bring it down tomorrow. Please all have a look, I switched some shifts, but no days around.
THE LISTS
Thank you, Bird Rocking Goddesses for indulging me in my list behavior. I appreciate it.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
RESERVATIONS ABC, 123
Please remember that no reservation should be confirmed without the 10% being charged first. I found a few reservations that had been confirmed and never charged the 10%.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Top of the morning, On King 5 news last eve they mentioned we are losing one of our large boats for 1 week . Thought everyone might want to have a heads up .
June 21st, 2009 at 7:21 pm
THE LISTS
It’s getting busier, almost no difference between weekdays and weekends anymore. It can be a bit much at times to remember everything. So here is what we will do:
I created a check list (off Elena’s excellent side duties list) and for the next 2 weeks I would like us all to sign, date and check the list each shift (there is a morning and a night shift check list). Please put the signed, dated lists in the safe for me to review each week. The lists are in my box. Please go over them, ask questions.
But wait, you say that’s not enough? There is more. I also created a deep cleaning schedule, oh yeah, Baby! It’s on the kitchen fridge and assigns a deep cleaning task to each shift each week. If we stick to it, everything will be spanking clean and none of the tasks will take up too much time. Let me know if you think I forgot an important task or I’m totally utterly unfair to certain shifts.
SHIFT CHANGE
Every shift change I would like us all to take a moment, go over our check lists, deep cleaning lists, communicate about reservations, things the next person needs to know. Each discussion shall end with: “Steffi is the best manager ever” (I will check on that, don’t make me create another list). No kidding aside, shift change communication is important. Please don’t just run away as soon as your co-worker gets here.
MORE LISTS
Last night a heinous crime was committed on Cady Mountain. Between 5AM and 9AM a deer ate all my kale, most of my peas and one of my potatoes. Not a peep out of Mr. Esspike. So I created a list for him as well, which he needs to check and initial every day or there will be a kibble crisis soon:
1) sleep (between 18 and 20 hours)
2) eat (twice per day)
3) pee (600 time per day)
4) get ball (once or twice per day)
5) CHASE DEER OUT OF YARD WHENEVER THEY EAT MY GARDEN
June 20th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up. Yeah!
FERRY SCHEDULE
Will change tomorrow. There was not a single new ferry schedule to be had down at the terminal. I printed out a couple in convenient 4 point type. Make sure our lovely guests know.
COOKIE DOUGH
Elena, I didn’t get to that. If you have time, will you start it for me? If not, will you put a butter on the counter, so I can get to it right away? Thank you.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Sunny-cloudy-sunny-cloudy, perfect san juan summer!
I have no printer down here,so if you are reading this please send help.S.O.S.
It’s Thursday night, we have a full house,all is well. (except for the printer thing)
June 18th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Hi Bird ROCKERS..
The computer in the back room is going to be moved to EB Housekeeping office. Chris Teren will be doing this, he may already have, please let me know if it is missing:)
Happy Thursday.. Keep your smiles..
June 16th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
FOLLOW THROUGH:
What Elena said. Remember, this is our guests’ cherished vacation time. When they book something with us, they are counting on it and we simply cannot fail them in this. Please, please, please, take care of our guests the way that you would want to be taken care of on your vacation.
Thank you!
June 16th, 2009 at 12:13 am
THE BALL…DON’T DROP IT
Its really important that we don’t drop the ball this time of year. Please be sure and communicate things like where a broken espresso machine is from, if its been replaced and, and what exactly is wrong with it.
Also be sure and open the e-mail. When I got in it hadn’t been checked all day and there were tons of things that needed following up on. Remember the call center communicates with us through e-mail.
There was also a message on the answering machine that hadn’t bee taken care of from early in the day.
When processing online reservations it is really important to follow up on adventure and massage requests, the folks that checked into the Lopez today had requested both and nothing had been done, I was luckily able to book everything today.
ORDER OF OPERATIONS
When you are following up on a kayak or massage request please do not make vouchers until everything is done, an alarm from today already had a massage voucher made for something that was not confirmed with the guest. Please remember that commissions go to the person that books everything regardless of who makes the voucher.
Spa voucher on the front desk is for the gentleman in the Saltspring his wife may also want to book something.
RATES
Remember when you are “copying” a reservation to double check rates are correct. I almost charged someone $217 for the Sucia, because this was not done.
That’s all for now, Have a great morning
LABEL MAKER
We need tape refills for the label maker
KEY CHECK-IN/ OUT
I realized that editing and writing in the number of keys is a hassle with Web Rez Pro so I made a laminated key check out that we can use a dry erase pen on. Lets use this from now on.
June 14th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
COMPUTER IN BACK ROOM
The screen doesn’t turn on. Cindy, can you let Chris know, please? Maybe he can play his techie magic on it.
KEYS
I don’t have time to remake the front door keys this week. Bring them up to Earthbox when Morgan works, he can fix those. Thanks.
PAY PER VIEW
We are still trying to get the kinks out of the system (as in: getting Direct TV to rent us a movie once successfully). So, the service isn’t quite available yet. Once it is, all the info you’ll need to rent a movie is in our log book. Let me show you the next time we work together.
PATOS
Patos guests have signed beach cruiser release forms already. Not necessary again if they want to ride tomorrow.
MATIA
Has large bags with golf clubs and a carton full of glassware in our luggage room, no luggage tag.
THE BLUFF
The new restaurant in the Friday Harbor House opens tomorrow. Check it out, it’s a real nice place with a gorgeous view, local, organic, sustainably grown food, not too spendy. They will be open from 7AM to 11PM daily.
June 14th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Orcas room keys need to be re worked the strip doesn’t work. Also need password so guests can order movies.
June 13th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I was in the kitchen mopping the floor and a guest came in when I greeted her she announced we had a guy picking flowers in our garden and he ran down the street, Look out for white male in his 50′s with brown bag possibly at Herbs.
June 13th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Wow unbelievable, the Friday Harbor House has reopened its called the Bluff and its smashing, It will be a hit, prices are reasonable and exciting.Even has Cheviche….The Manager is Mike he is eager to meet everyone.We needed something like this .
June 13th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
What a lovely surprise I had seeing Sweet Laura and the adorable Mia-Tortilla for a little breakfast here at the Bird Rock. The scones were hot and just out of the oven. Mia is such a grown up girley now, much bigger than when she was my little preschool student. I hope to see them again, maybe next time I will see Miss Zoe too!
Bird Rock-On!
Myah
June 13th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Herbs is a bit noisy tonight the folks in Lopez aren’t too happy. I will call in the a.m. to see if we can move them up to the quieter side of town.Good night..
June 9th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
So would anyone like to help me with a huge favor by either working/switching my morning shift at BRock this Saturday morning?? I would really appreciate it and would be happy to work a shift in return! Thank you! My cellphone number 378.7554
June 7th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
POST SAN JUAN
Sadie, will you please go (or ride a bike?) to Post San Juan on Monday and send our guest his cell phone charger? Charger & form all filled out on front desk, just needs to be dropped off.
CHANGING RESERVATION DATES & ROOM STYLES
When moving a guest to a different room style or date, please hit the “recalculate” button, so we charge the guest the correct amount.
FIDALGO TV
Still out of order. Seth will come by tomorrow.
BIKE KEY
Came home to me and is now asleep in the safe.
NEW ESPRESSO INSTRUCTIONS
Are in almost all rooms.
Have a great beginning of the week, everybody. Enjoy the sunshine.
June 7th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
WOW 27 MILES!!!
The Marathoners are incredible, we set up the bathrooms with nice rolled towels for them and some of the Judith J. bar soaps along with a little sign asking them to take just one towel. Then when they got back they looked to exhausted I put out some Iced Tea.
REZ # 1649106 Still not out at 1:30pm. There is a note on file that they might want to pay more to stay after noon but I’m not sure what to charge them. Housekeeping may not be here when they get back so we might have to block it out for today.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
KITCHEN FLOOR
Was so spanking clean when I got to work today, that I just poured my rice on there, laid down and ate off the floor. Wow. Thanks, Elena!
MARATHON PARTICIPANTS
I said to several marathon participants that they are welcome to take showers in the common bathrooms after the run. 26 miles, makes my legs cramp up just to think about it. Respect!
COOKIE ZIP LOCKS
Let’s re-use the zip locks we use for our frozen cookie balls. When empty, just leave empty in freezer and fill back up the next time we make a batch of cookies. No need to throw more barely used plastic into our landfill than necessary.
BEACH CRUISER BIKE KEY
Donde estas? Can’t find it. Please make sure all the keys are in the place they should be (safe key in safe key place, all others in first drawer of safe). It’s so difficult to start looking for a key in front of waiting guests.
KEYS
I had Morgan make new front door keys for the Lopez and have some spares in the first drawer of the safe (sic).
FIDALGO FRONT ROOM TV
Is giving me problems. Seth will stop by in a bit and have a look (go Seth!)
WRP DOUBLE CHARGES
Please pay extra special attention when processing reservations or checking guests in. I looked over 3 reservations processed today and they all had been double charged. I fixed them. I know it’s easy to do, especially with the WRP update and all, but we can’t do that.
Great day. Nice people. Loving it!
June 6th, 2009 at 10:38 am
BELLINGHAM FERRY
Debbie and I did some sleuthing and found out that the Bellingham ferry departs at 9:30am on weekends and starting June 12th they will run trips daily.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
SCHEDULE
the new schedule is up. A couple of things: please remember once the schedule is up it is your responsibility to find somebody to work for you if you can’t work a shift (unless you get sick).
WESTERN PRINCE
This is true for all adventure providers: we don’t give any AAA or AARP discounts when booking an adventure. If a guest makes a reservation directly with the provider they have that option, but not through us. One of us o.k.ed a AAA discount with WP and now we have to “eat” the difference (Earthbox #1581944). So please don’t do this.
Also: Western Prince now has 2 boats, the small zippy Zodiac and the big Western Prince. They have different prices. WP – $75 per adult, Zodiac – $89 per adult. So, when booking people on the zodiac, you need to let them know that it’s more expensive aand…that’s right, charge them the correct amount. Please pay attention to this. Otherwise we will have to pay for that as well.
Also: Ivan, the Western Prince dude, really wants to take us out on the zodiac for free. If you want to go, call him. Or we can go out as a group. Who is with me?
June 5th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
One more thing, when you process a payment, under the 2nd option called “TRANSACTION STATUS” section you need to make sure you select process payment, otherwise the payment will not take, after you select that, under the 3rd option “GUEST STATUS” you will need to select process payment again, you will know if you did not select it right under section 2 because 1. when you hit process payment (under section 3)it will take you to a screen that only has an arrow and no detail of the payment 2.a payment will not show on the guests main screen. Please ask me if you have any questions…
June 5th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Happy Friday…
Shaw
Seth will be coming down to check on the floor heat in the Shaw.
Thank you Elena for your blog about being a super cleaner.. We should all have Mr. Clean stickers:) As with the post it addiction (which I have) we could all be cleaning addicts..
Paychecks
They are up at Earthbox, by the time cards.
A/C
Remember to tell every person calling from now until September, that we do not have A/C in the rooms, this will prevent guests from assuming we have AC and then arrive and find out we do not, leaving us open to refunding $$$..
It is a busy weekend, LOTS going on… Enjoy the guests, get some sunshine, and put on a happy face:) (which you all do anyway)
June 4th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
The new espresso makers are in and Olga and the girls set them up in the rooms. Thank you for the reminders about Bird Rock aesthetics. I will try to woo you with amazing cleaning tricks. Today I cleaned the little feet of all the chairs, yes I did…you know that is a “woo”.
It is so gorgeous outside with all the flowers and sun shine.
Have a great weekend all,
Myah
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Thanks, Elena, for staying on the ball about cleanliness.
On a similar but different note: please don’t have your friends hang out on the lobby during your shifts. It is fine to take a 10 min break with somebody off property every once in a while, but please don’t have visitors. It looks bad and it distracts from our work. Thank you.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
DIRTY SHAW
I moved the Shaw to the Cypress last night because their room was just too hot and wouldn’t cool down despite messing with the heat. Please let housekeeping know in the morning, since it won’t show up on the HK report.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:40 pm
CLEANLINESS
SORRY TO BE REPETITIVE but it IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I dusted the front desk area today and did a little re-organizing, please make sure that the desk is as clear as possible during your shift otherwise it can reflect really badly on us if it looks like a bomb went off on the desk, and if you have a minute it would be great if we could dust at least once a week.
Please also be sure and give the hot water and coffee carafes a good wipe down before you put them out and after breakfast, they get spotty really easily.
THE KITCHEN is also another area that it is really important to keep clean even through breakfast when it feels like there are a million things to do. We have never had any bad citations from the health department, lets keep up our good record.
FOLLOW THROUGH
when you make a call to any charter or restaurant please be sure and leave a reservation number rather than a name, it is easier to track in the system, also be sure and make a note in the blog that you are waiting for a call back, otherwise it can be confusing to know which of the 5 “SMITHS” needed dinner reservations.
EGG CRATES
They pile up quickly and we don’t really need to keep as many as we have piled to the ceiling of the kitchen, please open them, stack them and then recycle, keeping only as many as we need.
WIRELESS PASSWORD CARDS
I printed out some new little cards to hand out to guests that want the wifi password, they are one the desk.
WHEWWW!!! I’ll give my fingers a rest now. And please know that I am only being seemingly nit picky because (it’s in my nature, sad but true) but also because I realize we have a lot of new people and there is some stuff you just aren’t aware of yet, and I want to make sure we are all on the same page, so we can have a happy and smooth summer.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 am
Good morning, We have some guests that just checked out and will be on a 3 day kayak trip, we have their luggage here that needs to come to the Earth box for the rest of their stay.Someone w/ a car as the luggage is huge.Thank you.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:24 am
The espresso maker went belly-up in the SJS so I swapped it for the one in the Spiden.
Walkie-talkies sound like fun to me, can’t wait. Everyone is tucked soundly into their beddies for the night and I am closing the front door. It’s my first late shift and I found it as much fun as the early shift.
Shhhhhh, the green apples are sleeping on the coffee table here and they look so peaceful we don’t want to disturb them.
June 1st, 2009 at 12:04 am
Seems like our dish washer is not doing a very good job, the dish powder is in the bottom of the dishwasher, not disappearing..I need Seth tomorrow.
thanks and good night.
May 31st, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Great evening here 2 walk ins..Say do I need to put out anything on the curb side tonight ?
May 31st, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Hey my Bird Rocking Goddesses!
Que paso? Nothing to blog about at all?
WALKIE TALKIE’S
Raquel would like us to use the walkie talkie’s (spelling?) as a tool to see if a room is ready. They are on our back desk. Give one to Olga in the morning, keep one at the desk, call Olga to see if a room is ready, so we don’t have to run up and down the stairs while our guests are waiting.
FOOD
Ordered lot’s of food for Wednesday, see white board.
ESPRESSO MAKERS
Sadie & Myah, did you get around to laminating the new espresso instructions? Where did you put them? In the next couple of days we will get a shipment of 5 repaired espresso makers via FedEx. Please blog when that happens.
PAY PER VIEW
We would like to offer pay per view to our guests, something which is potentially possible with Direct TV. However, whenever we try to order a movie for one of our guests it doesn’t work out. Morgan and I will make a “play to rent pay per view movies” date soon and then we’ll go from there. Until then, if a guest inquires, please let them know that right now we aren’t set up for that service.
Blog on and peace out!
May 30th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Nice Evening @ The Bird, I was wondering if we could get some plants for the spiedens’s planter box some grasses and a splash of color would be great.The courtyard is beautiful.Thanks Debbie
May 29th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Drippety, drippety drop, the coffee went kerplop.
Myah and I talked about the thermos problem. I will bring down a thermos from Earthbox. And Myah is going to write a note for Gerard to see if he can order a replacement gasket.
May 29th, 2009 at 10:34 am
The Pump style coffee dispenser is missing a little gasket, and when you pump the coffee,it goes a spurty-chokey,messy! Is there a replacement for it?
May 28th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Morning Myah!
Our guests in the San Juan will move to the Saltspring on Friday. Please help them with their luggage. They just need keys, room is ready, all paid.
Oh, and thanks for cleaning the lobby so well (aligning the wine glasses with a ruler, that is what I call “above & beyond”, yeah!)
FOOD
I didn’t order food for Saturday. We have lot’s. Next order will be Wednesday. If we run out, go get it from the store, please.
VINNY’S RISTORANTE
is now one of our restaurant choices for our dining vouchers. Elena, will you please design us a Vinny’s voucher & a Maya’s Charters voucher the next time you are here?
It’s going to be new girl weekend at Bird Rock. Elena and I are working at Earthbox, she in the morning, I at night. Call us if you need help with anything. We can walk you through anything…
May 28th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
“Eggs eggs, the musical friut, we need some eggs to re-stock out loot.”
May 26th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
CHAMPAGNE
We have brand new beautiful Nicholas Fuiellate champagne in 1/4 bottle sizes. Please do not use these quite yet, but DO take a look they are in the back room
May 25th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I’m going a little crazy with the bleach today, cleaning surfaces door knobs and computer keyboards. Want to keep us all healthy.
I never did say thank you to Elena, the breakfast goddess for showing me the beautiful way to serve breakfast, so thank you Elena.
I agree with Sadie about liking to work here at the BR. There is never a dull moment. Thanks for all your patience in getting us new gals trained.
peace-out,myah
May 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Hi my name is myah and I am addicted to sticky-notes.
It has been 4 days since my last “peel-off”.
I can see how this has hurt me and the people I love. With the help of the great SPIRAL NOTEBOOK, I know I can overcome my addiction.
peace-out,myah
May 24th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
VOUCHER FOLDER
I made us a new voucher folder. Have a look. It’s pretty, updated and informative.
Elena, if you have time tomorrow, could you design us a Maya’s Charters voucher, please? We ain’t got one. Also: where on the computer is the cool channel line up for our guest’s TV’s you made? I think we should print some out and laminate them. So we can hand them to guests upon request.
Happy Memorial Day everybody!
May 24th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
KEYS
What Elena said. When checking in guests, write in comment section how many keys you gave them and initial. When they check out, write how many keys you got back and initial. I added on the guest invoice: “A $50 fee will be applied for each key not returned at checkout”.
PHONE MESSAGES
Please erase phone messages after you have processed them. Today I had 9 messages, not knowing from which day or if the guests had been called.
POST ITS
I said it before and I say it again: post its seem like they are your friend, but they aren’t. They fly away, they don’t make sense, the person working after you doesn’t know if they can throw them away or if they are important. Manage the post its before they manage us. Ahhhh, ahhh, invasion of the KILLER POST ITS. No, seriously, get yourself a ring book and write your lists in it. We pay for it. Pretty please.
CHECKING OUT GUESTS
Please don’t forget to check out guests around noon. In WRP if you check a guest into a room when the previous guest is still checked in, you can’t write notes into the comment section of the new guest.
Thanks for all your hard work. We mainly use the blog to point out what didn’t go right, but there are all those things which do. So thank you for making our guests happy and going out of your way to make somebody’s day. Uh, I rhymed:)
May 24th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
LOST AND FOUND
Please have Olga look for a pair of brown flats that were left behind by a guest last week in the Bainbridge, Her phone number is on a sticky note on the desk. Please contact her if we find the shoes or not- Thanks
KEYS
Please note in peoples res’s how many keys we give out, so we can make sure we are getting them back at check-out. It stinks having to make so many keys.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:57 pm
I love working here… Everyone is so appreciative and happy! Makes working much more enjoyable. The phone has been quiet, but guests have been giving me a few things to do. Have a good morning, Elena!
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:12 am
Nevermind. Sold the Fidalgo.
Also the folks from the Patos moved rooms right before I closed so housekeeping will need to tidy that room tomorrow. They wanted their own bathroom at the last minute.
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:11 am
Morning Elena,
Guest #1614417 called and said they missed a flight so they wouldn’t make it tonight but would be here for tomorrow. I tried to resell their room but was ultimately unable. It’s your call if you want to charge them for the night or not. I left it as a charge on their room.
I prepped as much jam as I could. I made about 12 of them. We ran out and had to pull the spare out of the freezer. It was solid as a rock. Hopefully it will have thawed by morning if you need more. It seemed like several people will be leaving early so you might not have a full load for breakfast.
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Thanks for the up date Carla, I sent the pkg. back to our guest.
FLAG
Where is the american flag? Raquel is looking for it.
May 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
OFFICE HOURS
Starting today the front desk will be open from 7:30 AM to 10:00PM. On Friday and Saturday: 7:30AM to 11:00PM.
Happy weekend.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Hello everyone, I am on the road to recovery! IJust a few things to note:
The beach cruiser folder behind the desk is for blank forms, not to file after guest signs it, those can go into the “signed invoice” folder. I printed out some more forms and filed them in the right folder.
Myah, can you please mail off the small ink cartridge package on the back desk…it is going off to be recycled…go earth!
The package that needs to go to Post San Juan is right next to it as well.
Steffi, thank you so much for saving me with the ink cartridge, you are a rockstar and the best manager ever!
See you next week.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:40 pm
LOST AND FOUND
Guest rz# 1600963 left her glasses in her room.I just spoke with her and told her we would mail them to her.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Morning Myah!
Reservation #1491232 came late last night. Please make sure you charge them when you see them at breakfast.
Reservation # 1441726, see alarm
FOOD
More food on Saturday. Please buy fruit and eggs if we need them. Also: take the largest bill you can find when you go shopping, every time, so we have small bills when we need to make change.
COFFEE MAKER
Just so you all know, there is a spare regular coffee maker on the shelf above the bed, as well as coffee and filters. If you an espresso maker gives you grief, use that instead and blog about it.
Happy shift. I hope you feel better, Carla:)
May 20th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
The clock radio in the Spiden was replaced by the spare, which has an i-pod dock. The old radio is now the spare. Raquel wants to get a separate dock for it for the future.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
CHANGE
Can we please keep enough change on hand in the cash box, we never seem to have any 1′s or 5′s for when guests pay in cash.
KEYS
We still don’t seem to have enough keys, can we please get at least three for each room and make sure that we are getting them back maybe start keeping track? It is a problem making keys at the last minute in front of guests.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Coffee maker in Cypress not working.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
FREEZER
There is something wrong with our freezer. The ice cube tray fills up with cubes, then they melt to one big ice block. Elena & I turned the ice cube maker off. It seems to keep temperature though. Any idea what that could be?
I-POD DOCKING RADIO
Our guests in the Speiden don’t have an i-pod docking radio (they have one with the nature noises). So I lent them our spare i-pod docking radio. They will be here for 3 days. Please make sure to put the spare back in it’s box and up on the shelf in the luggage room when they check out.
LUGGAGE RACK FROM BAINBRIDGE
I lent one of the luggage racks from the Bainbridge to our guests in the Orcas. They’ll also be here for 3 days.
FOOD
Ordered food for Wednesday (see white board). Please buy eggs and milk if we run out.
KEYS
Remade all the Bird Rock keys.
CELL PHONE
Guest cell phone picked up from Haley’s. Morgan will send it back tomorrow.
ISLAND MAPS
Got us some more island maps.
Thank you for training Sadie & Myah over the weekend, Elena.
Ahh, today was the first day our guests could comfortably sit in the courtyard and on the balconies. Some discovered that our strawberry lemonade goes very well with Grey Goose. Yumm.
May 16th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Info on desk is for a woman who left her Cell phone at Hayleys during her stay and wants us to get it back, call us when we have it and then mail it to her.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
FRUIT
We’ll get fruit tomorrow.
SAN JUAN TRANSIT
Is almost up and running. Laminated schedule is in our box to the left of you. Hand out paper schedules are behind you in the second drawer. Please suggest taking the transit bus to guests who didn’t bring their car.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
This warm weather is waking me up, and I want to play flower gardener on the patio here. I understand there is a gardener that takes care of all that, but I want to see some flowers, maybe I can run to Ace and fill the planters for the weekend. It is going to be gorgeous!!!
One of the bikes(#9) needs it’s handle bars tightened.
We are out of kiwis and low on melons for sat.
All is well, Myah
May 13th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Wow what a Morning, The phone should be fixed. Centurytel believes the phone on the desk was off the hook because they could hear voices.Pretty mellow here now..
May 13th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
FIRE ALARM:
It works. Or at least, when it goes off, you can hear it. Right Debbie??
Today there was a false alarm and Guardian Securities is coming out tomorrow at 11 am to check it out. In the meantime, I have a repair call in to CenturyTel because there may be an issue with the phone line 378-0834 which is the secondary line that the alarm system uses. It is not ringing through and is busy. I can’t seem to track it down.
If any of you hear from Guardian or CenturyTel, please let me know.
Thanks!
May 12th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Hi Elana, I will see you on sat morning for b-fast. I work thurs. and friday AM. see you then.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Good Morning,
Our guest from Shaw suggested a fold up chair,or end table, for the business folk to be able to work on their computer from the bed.
May 11th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
TRAINING
Sadie Will train with me for breakfast on Sunday starting at 7:15am. Debbie Or Myah may take Saturday morning with me, please let me know.
May 11th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Ohhh okay, I feel very silly about the fan lights heheh. Thank you, Steffi, I figured it out… Not much happening at Bird Rock today, it’s been extremely quiet. Where is the sunshine??
May 11th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Hi Guys,
I just want to make a little personal plea to all you wonderful front-deskers to please not use your cell phones while at work unless on break. Also, please keep the phone on vibrate so as to not disturb our guests.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
May 10th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
LEARNING FROM THE BREAKFAST QUEEN
Hey Sadie, Debbie & Myah. I would like all three of you to work a busy breakfast with Elena (see above) once. Will you please check in with her and schedule that, if you see her before you see me? Please don’t double up on this. It’s hard to train and cook and reserve rooms all at once.
DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS
When filling the green apple display in the lobby, please take the little stickers off the apples.
When making cookie dough, please freeze the balls first on a tray before bagging them. Easier to get them out afterwards.
Oh, by the way, Sadie, those cookies are delicious, great job!
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up.
May 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
ORCAS & SKIPJACK FAN
Sadie, those fan lights aren’t broken, they turn on with the remote. Please let me show you the next time you work.
May 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
BEACH CRUISER
One of our guests at BR, the people staying in the Shaw, checked out a beach cruiser with me here at EB. I have his license. Please remind him tomorrow to bring the bike back and get his license from us at EB. Thank you!
May 9th, 2009 at 10:35 am
BREAD
Please, once we are low on bread make sure and pull a bag each of wheat and white from the freezer to let it defrost in the refrigerator. It is really hard to defrost last minute in the morning.
OJ
Please make sure there is a full pitcher of OJ for the front and back as part of your breakfast prep.
THANKS! and Happy PARTYING LATER
May 8th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Boy-oh-boy, I’m the chatty one today. Well I have to say I have really enjoyed my first week here, I love people and the guests here at the Bird Rock have been a pleasure to serve. Everyone loves the decor and the beds and it’s nice to see happy morning faces enjoying the slowed down tempo of Friday Harbor.
Have a nice weekend.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I would love to go whale watching with Ivan. Count me in, unless I’m working.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Happy Friday:)
Ivan from Western Prince would like to take us all on a excursion in the next few weeks on their new boat. Here is the description:
WESTERN EXPLORER
New for 2009, the “Western Explorer” is a 27′ Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, similar to the boats the Coast Guard uses for search and rescue. It is the only US Coast Guard certified Rigid Hull Inflatable in Washington State. The “Western Explorer” seats 15 guests and cruises at up to 30 knots, getting us where we need to go quickly. To ensure your comfort, every guest receives a full length Coast Guard approved anti-exposure suit.
Can any of you employees make it for a trip on the afternoon of the 27th? If note let me know which date that week would work for you.
PARTY PARTY
Don’t forget tomorrow is our annual party.. YUMMY.. 4-7pm… see you all there.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I just got a call from Kathy from “the Place” inviting guests to join them for live music this Friday at 8:00. They are also featuring an anniversary special for dinner this month, for 19.69, your choice of four different entre’s.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
The floor guys came by today,5/7 and came up with a plan. They will run it by Laura for the best time to execute said plan. All is well here.
May 6th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Hello wonderful ones!
Great job Debbie & Myah! Please write down your questions and issues you run into (if they can wait) and we’ll discuss them during our ongoing training.
Thank you so much, Elena, for updating the side-duties list and making beautiful signs and all. P.S. we do have another box of scone mix on the shelf, so we should be good for another couple of weeks.
EGGS
Please poke little holes in the eggs when you cook them (egg hole puncher on shelf above toaster). This way they won’t explode and crack. More eggs tomorrow.
NEWSPAPER
Una mas: please buy a daily paper in the morning for our guests.
TOMORROW
Homeport will come by around 10AM and have a look at our lobby floor. Right in front of the front desk it sags. Please call Laura or Cindy and let them know what’s going on.
Happy liquid sunshine!
May 6th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
This is me, testing the blog.
May 6th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Well here it is my first day here at the lovely Bird Rock Hotel. It was really fun to talk with the guests this morning. They were so happy with their accommodations and were excited to explore the island. I love you Olga, you are very kind and patient. To the rest of you, I am feeling so much better, thanks for your nice thoughts.
=^^= (kitty face) myah papaya
May 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Got the front doors open waiting for the huge arrival of people. Not much turnout for my amazing scones. Steffi we have an address for the fella who left some cords in his room. Happy Cinco de Mayo is it time for a Margarita ?
May 4th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
OJ
I tried a little of our OJ for the first time in a very long time. It had an off taste, not very good at all? Thoughts? Maybe we can try a different brand?
ICE BUCKET POLISH
YAYYY! Raquel brought us some liquid to polish all of our nice ice buckets and trays with. It virtually no smell and a little goes a long way
OUTSIDE LIGHTS
I think we need to change the bulbs to the lights right outside the lobby none of them turn on.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Congrats Debbie on your first solo Breakfast. It will get easier once you get your groove, Believe me.
Just a few quick notes for everyone.
KEEPING THE SCONES WARM
We have little hot stones in the bottom oven, if you wrap one of them neatly in a napkin and set it in the scone basket, they will stay nice and warm for you.
Raquel brought us nice new Napkins for the scone basket they are in the little door to the right of the dishwasher.
FLOUR
The cake flour should be just fine but wouldn’t suggest mixing it with any other flours, remember baking is a fine science.
TONGS
I was at Market Chef today (YUM) and bought us three new set of the mini tongs for our breakfast and cookies in the evening. Please put a set out with the Scones, eggs, and Fruit.
BUTTER AND JAM
For our newbies we should always have enough individually portioned out and COVERED butter and Jam in the mini fridge in the lobby. I also made us a new sign to put next to the scones and toast and laminated it. Please us the small card holder to display it.
May 4th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Hi Steffi, First Time Blogging. It is 8;55 everyone is sleeping in and my scones are losing there heat. going well so far. Don’t mind doing 4 days but do need to ask for the weekend of Memorial off.
Thanks
Debbie
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Morning Debbie! First shift, yeah! Good luck and of course you will be brilliant:)
FOOD
Let’s try to bake with the cake flour. It’s just finer and has less gluten, should be good for cookies.
SUCCIA
Our guests in the Succia filled out beach cruiser release forms already. So when they would like to check out bikes, no need for more forms.
THURSDAY FIRE ALARM
On Thursday morning 11:30 Guardian Security will come by and conduct an annual fire alarm test. They will need to go in every room. Please let our guests know at breakfast and give Guardian access.
THURSDAY HOUSE KEEPING
Raquel won’t schedule any housekeeping for Thursday. She will however send somebody from Earthbox down to clean our rooms.
Happy first week of May everybody. Have fun.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
GROCERIED DELIVERED… only one problem, we got cake flower instead of regular flour.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
EGGS
So M & I conducted a double blind study and Morgan is right: cooked – spin, raw -wobble a little, then stop.
LA MUSICA
Thanks, Adam for the new play-list. Loving it.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:17 am
No problem Steffi. But just to let you know. The egg checking trick is the other way around. A hard-boiled egg will spin easily. A raw egg will wobble.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Hey all!
Thank you so much Elena, Morgan & Sadie to cover our shift this morning. How many Bird Rock employees does it take to cover a 6 hour shift? Ha, Ha. We hope you feel better soon, Myah.
COOKED EGGS
Please make sure to keep cooked and raw eggs separately. Mark cooked egg container clearly. If you can’t figure out if an egg is cooked, here is a cool trick: spin egg on counter. If it stops spinning as soon as you let it go: cooked. If it continues to spin: raw.
FOOD ORDER
Please blog when a food order comes in, so I know. I ordered toast, fruit, flour & granola for Saturday. We’ll get more eggs tomorrow afternoon.
Have a great night.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
SCHEDULE
I had to re-do the schedule some, please have a look. Especially Debbie & Myah (I have you on 4 days during a week where some of us are out of town, won’t happen regularly).
LOBBY FLOOR
Repair has to be rescheduled. We’ll keep you posted.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Hello everyone! Not to much to report. I polished all the wood in the lobby, it is sparkling. Hope everyone has a great week!
April 28th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Does anyone know what happened to the white scoop that was in the scone mix? I can’t find it anywhere.
also,
STEFFI… I bought two papers and a carton of strawberries the last time I worked, and I forgot to put the receipt in the box. I think the total was like $4.65 or something like that. I used a 5 and had coin change. Sorry! I’ll remember next time.
Myah and Debbie were great! Good Job today girl! keep up the good work! (gold star)
April 28th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
LOBBY FLOOR:
Just a reminder to you: tomorrow morning around 11, Jerry at Homeport flooring will be coming over to do some work on the floor behind the couch. This will make a mess which I kindly ask you now to clean up after.
Thanks for your understanding and patience!
April 27th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
PLATES
We have some new plates for Breakfast, they are the same size as the old plates and are from EB storage. Use them for Busy breakfast mornings.
SPIEDEN TV
I was testing it today and it appears to get a lot of channels, but not all, we could rent it at a little bit of a reduced rate.
April 26th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
TRAVELER’S CHECKS
We do accept traveler’s checks as payment. However, the guest needs to sign the check, then we need to compare the signatures (traveler’s checks are signed by the guest when they get them, then they need to sign in front of you a second time) and check ID.
MONEY
Please make sure to keep all receipts when going to the store. I keep coming up short.
GARBAGE
Please don’t forget to bring the garbage to the curb:
SUNDAY for Monday recycling pick up
MONDAY for Tuesday garbage pick up (2 cans)
THURSDAY for Friday garbage pick up (2 cans).
LEMONADE
We got a different lemonade concentrate. The ratio is 5:1, not 3:1. Please mix accordingly.
RATES
Starting next weekend our current specials expire and on Friday & Saturday nights our rates go up to the summer rates.
Thank you, Debbie, for being there with me during breakfast. It was busy and fun. See you all next week:)
April 25th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up.
MAINTENANCE
Please have Seth check the fan in the Matia and the TV in the Speiden on Monday. Please upgrade guests checking into the Speiden over the next couple of days (we got room).
FOOD
I ordered more food for Wednesday (see white board). If we run low, please go to the store.
Tomorrow morning: Debbie & Steffi as the breakfast queens!
April 24th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Welcome to the team Myah & Debbie!
With a crew like this, may the summer come full force, yeah!
Myah & Debbie will be training next Tuesday & Wednesday morning with Dani & Sadie, respectively. Show ‘em the chops, girls! Myah’s first shift will be Thursday, 4/30 AM. So Dani, you are off the schedule after your Tuesday 4/28 shift (sniff…).
INK
I ran out today just at shift change and Fed Ex brought new cartridges 15 minutes later. That is what I call good timing. Thank you, Laura!
REMOTE CHECK IN
We have 3 remote check ins for tonight. It’s just mayhem at the ferry terminal today. One of our guests still needs to pay. See alarm.
Also: starting next weekend our PM shifts on Friday & Saturday will end at 10PM.
Almost a full house tonight. Good luck at your first “morning alone” shift, Sadie. I know you can do it! See you at noon.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
hello,love the bird rock hotel.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Hello Friends…
Res#1579058 made reservations for him and his friends(res# 1579061,1579063) for the weekend of may 2nd. They have WW tour with SJ Safaris for 5/2 and may have another couple joining them. He will call tomorrow to confirm. If that other couple comes, they want the cypress. And will also want to go whale watching with their friends, so you’ll need to call SJ Safaris to add another two people to the roster for 5/2.
Thanks, sorry if that was long.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I made the food order with Tom today. Should be here on Saturday.
also…I am holding the Whidbey suit under res#1578516 for the guy listed. He said he would call back with the rest of the info later today. If he doesn’t call by the time you leave tonight Carla, just cancel it. ( I told him thats what we would do)
Thanks!
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
LOBBY FLOOR:
I met with Homeport flooring today and they are going to need to do some work on the lobby floor next Wednesday, April 29th from 11-12 am. Dani, I think you are on the schedule for that time, so call me if you have any questions. I think all they have to do is to move the couch away from the wall and do a little work. There may be a little mess to clean up when they are done. Thanks for your patience!
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
The Backdoor Kitchen will be calling us back in regards to a Sunday reservation I tried to make for res#1575124. They want to have dinner at BDK May 24th at 6:00pm(6adults,2babies), but BDK is not sure if they will be open Sundays yet. So when they figure it out they will call us back.
When they do call back, please confirm reservation with them and then email the guest and let them know whats going on(either yes or no).
Thanks so much! people love the Backdoor Kitchen, That’s the 4th reservation I have made there this week! Wahooooo!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
CARLA…
Did you cancel/change the reservation at Backdoor that I made for reservation 1406148 on June 6th? Since they are coming on a different day now I just wanted to make sure we had all the dates and everything correct for them.
let me know, and I can call backdoor if need be.
Thanks Carla!! your the best! Thanks for taking care of the reservation for me!
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Everything looks great Carla! Thank You!!
April 21st, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Hello everyone! I have survived my first night here closing! Yahoo! Dani, I apologize already if I forget to do something, please put in the blog if I have missed anything so I can try again on Thursday! Reservation #1406148 is taken care of so no worries. Have a great day!
April 21st, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Sorry Elena I can’t work for you I have to work from 8-12 at the fuel dock and then 12to5 at Daisy Bloom. I might be able to come in and set up breakfast at 7:30 if that helps at all. Let me know. Sorry!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Hello!
I spoke with a man today who is possibly going to book 6 different rooms (all ground level & top floor) for 1 night on May 2. I was a little confused on our pricing and quoted him the off-season prices for 1 person and on-season prices for 2 people. Steffi says to honor this due to the amount of rooms he is booking. Thank you!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
INK
Laura will order us some more ink for our printer tomorrow. In the meantime please don’t conduct frivolous printing. What? Well, we are pretty low, is all.
MENU GUIDE
Sadie and I started updating the menu guide. If you guys are slow tomorrow, run around and get us menus. Sadie has the list of menus we need.
I’m sitting here blogging, while amazing Carla and beautiful Sadie are setting up for breakfast. Ahhh, the upside of training. Love you guys.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I’m desperate…
I need someone to work for me on Sunday the 26th because we will be in Seattle ON Saturday and it would be impossible for me to get back by Sunday. Anyone willing to work for me/ trade? I could work on Wednesday night for Dani? My Sunday shift would only be from 7:30-12. Please let me know anyone.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Welcome Sadie!
I, too, have noticed the open, vacant rooms being untidyed. I have come in many mornings with the doors to the vacant rooms still open with all the lights on. so please make sure you close the rooms and turn the lights off before you leave so we don’t make extra work for the lovely housekeepers.
Thanks!
April 19th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Hello all! It’s been a good couple days working with Bird Rock… I hope to meet everyone soon! See you around!
April 19th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
Gerard will bring us 7th Generation dish washing detergent next week. Wow, that was one foamy dishwasher, but all is good now.
GARBAGE
We have too much. I’ll call Regino tomorrow and ask if he can do a dump run. Please don’t forget to bring the garbage to the street:
MONDAY for Tuesday pick-up
THURSDAY for Friday pick up
SUNDAY for recycling pick up on Monday
FOOD NEXT WEEK
I won’t be able to order food next week. Dani, please call Tom on Thursday and put in a food order for Saturday.
Nice day. Steffi & Sadie training away…
April 19th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
DISHWASHER DETERGENT
OOoops
I put the Seventh Generation soap that was under the sink in the dishwasher and… That soap is not intended for the dishwasher and there was foam everywhere. I marked it but I would agree that we the seventh generation was the best.
April 19th, 2009 at 11:40 am
SPOONS
We are really low on spoons. I took a dozen from our extra and put them out and we still have another dozen for back-up but, we will probably need to order more before we get really busy.
SLEEPY
I don’t know if it is a problem or not I’m just pointing it out. The bed in the back looks like it is being slept in can we please just make sure that it gets made neatly?
Also…
This is a little unusual but housekeeping says that they have been finding the bed in the Patos unmade lately. WEIRD and doubly important that we close up the rooms at night.
April 18th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
GUESTS ALLERGIC TO GOOSE DOWN
In the future, when we have guests requesting hypoallergenic bedding, please write it in the Housekeeping section of the reservation AND let Housekeeping know one day ahead.
BAINBRIDGE FIRE PLACE
The pilot went out. I couldn’t get it back on. Regino (thank you for coming from home!) got it after a long time trying. Maybe we need a new pilot light ignitor? Shall I give the propane people a call?
I think that’s all. Got newspaper for tomorrow already. Almost sold out tonight, yippieh!
April 17th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
VISITOR’S SURVEY
Please hand a visitor’s survey (next to computer) to all guest checking in the next few weeks. Place the filled out forms in the safe. Let our guests know, they will be entered into a raffle for a free night on San Juan.
COFFEE PODS
Laura ordered us new coffee pods. They are under the sink in the lobby.
BAINBRIDGE ESPRESSO MAKER
I assembled one working espresso maker from the 2 broken ones (or so I hope) and placed it in the Bainbridge. Please let me know if we continue to have issues with it.
WHIDBEY COFFEE
The Whidbey is currently the only room without espresso maker. Regino got us a drip coffee maker (Thank you!). I will get us coffee for it and place it in the room.
Makes me all jittery, all that coffee talk. Is that gorgeous out there or what? Almost sold out for tonight, yeah!
April 17th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
FREE TICKETS
We have some great tickets to give a way to our guest that will be with us on Sunday evening. Please ask the EB front desk if you have a guest that is interested. The showing is a tribute to Roy Orbison, there are 2 showings one at 4pm and one at 7pm, both showings are at the SJC Theatre. Be sure to offer them to guests who will be here. Thanks everyone have a good weekend.
April 16th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Hi Bird Rock staff. I want to let you know that Duck Soup Inn is open for business and we are starting a Friday Happy Hour for the spring. It’s 4:30 to 6:00 with 1/2 price drinks and $2 discounts on appetizers.
See you soon.
Cheers,
Gretchen
April 16th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
SADIE
Please welcome our newest staff member Sadie. Welcome to the team!
SKIPJACK TV
The HD box of the Skipjack is broken. Seth ordered a new one and wired the Skipjack TV so it works for now, but is not HD.
PATHOS REMOTE
Seth programmed a new remote for the Pathos until we’ll get the old one in the mail.
WHIDBEY & BAINBRIDGE ESPRESSO MAKER
They need fixing. I’m trying to track down who could help us with that (company got sold). I have a call in to the old/new company and to Steve from SJ Coffee. Please let me know if I get calls regarding those issues. Until then I asked Raquel to supply those rooms with a regular coffee maker.
FOOD
Will come on Saturday. Sadie & I will stock us up for Saturday morning breakfast.
#532613652737
Dani, please ask me about this reservation.
OJ
Our beautiful Laura, guest starring as breakfast queen this morning (thank you so much, you rock my little under-staffed world) suggested to blend a whole orange and some ice in with the morning orange juice, to make it frothy and delicious. Let’s do that. It will need to be done in the morning. The blender is behind the coffee maker.
NEWSPAPER
Please don’t forget to buy a daily newspaper in the morning.
Thank you so much, Dani, for working for me last night. I’m much better today.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
The T.V in the Skipjack is perpetually broken. we need to find a way for this to not happen all the time!! Maybe move the satellite box, or something. But after every guest the T.V needs a fixin…
poor Seth!
April 15th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
A woman called today and said she packed the remote control from Patos in her suitcase and she had no use for it so she is going to mail it back to us.
I said thank you.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Espresso
I couldn’t find the number anywhere for the Soltazzo people we bought the machines from. Laura do you have it? If you e-mail it I can call tomorrow afternoon
Patos
The remote control is missing, Olga couldn’t find it anywhere in the room.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Whidbey espresso machine is broken, and we don’t have any working machines to replace it with
April 14th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Elena, don’t forget to close all the vacant rooms at night. Those little kids from the Bainbridge were playing in the open rooms and messing up the beds…naughty, but cute.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I didn’t buy any melon since the cantaloupe should be fine and there is still half of the other melon. I can run to the store at shift change tomorrow.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Need more regular coffee pods for the rooms
April 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I need the 25th and 26th of This month off.
We need melon
April 11th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
THE FUTURE
I updated the event calendar on the Earthbox website through June. Check it out, lot’s of stuff going on for the centennial celebration, cool tours and lectures. Be informed and let our guests know.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Groceries delivered, we will still need melons, only peach yogurt for now, oh well
April 11th, 2009 at 10:41 am
We are out of yogurt, strawberries, and we need more melon and grapes.
April 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
DISH SOAP
Morgan, our rock, thank you so much for working this shift for us on your regular day off. And thanks for polishing, yeah! And no, you are not the only one who has issues with the dishwasher soap. We are still looking for the perfect product: well cleaning and yet environmentally friendly. I liked the 7th generation gel. Girls?
FLOWERS
Ralph, the flower guy, will stop by every Thursday. Please pick one (or 2 if 1 is too small) bouquet for the lobby. We have an account with him.
April 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Not much to report. Hope I made the regular employees happy by polishing the Lobby and kitchen floors. I also polished the tables and chairs and the front of the buffet counter. The only real thing I want to say is that I don’t think I like that new powdered dishwasher soap. I followed the directions on the label but a good deal of the dishes came out with a thin white powdery film on the tops of them. I had to basically re-wash about a quarter of a load by hand. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this or was it an isolated incident? curious curious.
April 8th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
FOOD
We got our first order from Tom today. Did I mention his fantastic prices? Wow. I ordered yogurt, fruit, jam, granola & toast for the weekend from him and put up an ordering schedule in the kitchen. He doesn’t have a minimum order and often has a small inventory in his large cooler on the island. I will do the ordering for now, but please call him if I’m not here and we are out of something, he might just have it.
SPEIDEN
Our lovely guests in the Speiden got woken up at 1AM from King’s noise (sounded like restocking to them). I upgraded them and they are happy as clams, vowed not to leave their room for the rest of their stay:)
HOMEPORT
Left another message. Please let me know when they call back.
The cherry trees down by the water are blooming. Popeye splashed us with water yesterday, while we were buying fish at the dock (she looks like she is getting enough to eat). It’s Spring!
April 6th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
THANKS DANI! The lobby looks great!
There isn’t much cream or milk left and I don’t know when we will be getting a shipment in. There should be enough for tomorrow at least.
I never heard back from the lady that e-mailed, I tried calling her back but no answer again. Maybe try her again tomorrow?
April 6th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I found the bike lock key.
April 6th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I swept and mopped, and wiped/dusted everything in the lobby. I also swept and mopped the kitchen and behind the desk as well as vacuumed the backroom. Everything is shiny and beautiful, just like the weather.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I can’t find the bike lock key!!! I’ve looked everywhere. Does anyone know where it is hiding? I have guests who want to take bike out! AAAHHHHH!!!
April 5th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
BAINBRIDGE & WHIDBEY
Lock in the Bainbridge is fixed. New keys for Whidbey are made.
LUGGAGE TAGS
We have them, under the desk on your right. Please use them when guests store their luggage with us. More in a labeled box in the back room.
OSHA
There is a new folder in the file cabinet, labeled “Osha”. In it incident reports in case one of us injures herself on the job. Please fill one out in case of injury and let Cindy or I know immediatly.
INVOICES
Please put invoices, agent payment requests, etc. in the safe.
T’is quiet tonight, everybody is out playing.
April 4th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
… wait, there is more.
BAINBRIDGE
The lock mechanism for the entrance door broke, i.e. once you lock the door, you can’t open it again with a regular key (my master does the job). I called Kyle, the locksmith, he will swing by tomorrow and fix that (he knew exactly what I was talking about). Yeah!
April 4th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
WHIDBEY
Kyle, the locksmith, will stop by Monday and will make us 4 more Whidbey keys.
FOOD
I ordered some dairy from Tom for Tuesday delivery, but please go to the store if we run low.
PAPERCUTTER
Donde estas? Does anybody know? It used to live under the back desk. I brought some more rack cards, they just need to be cut. The spa will bring more flyers as soon as they have them.
LOBBY FLOOR
Elena, did Homeport ever call back?
What a gorgeous day. Lot’s of walk-ins, phones very busy, nice.
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I procaf-ed the coffee pump pot/pitchers. They are beautifully clean.
Elena sorry you feel your the only one cleaning. I’m still learning the ropes and what needs to be done, so bear with me…I’m trying. Let me know if there is anything I should be doing of if you need something done. I would love to help!
Nice day here on the Rock. Quiet. 5:00 and none of the 5 check-in are here yet. I guess I would be outside too if I had the option!
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:57 pm
THE LOBBY
PLEASE… the lobby needs to be properly swept and mopped when needed (2-3 times per week with the liquid in the back), the counters need to be wiped down, tables wiped down, glasses shelf dusted, cabinet fronts wiped down (they get really sticky) microwave cleaned inside and out, carafes for coffee and hot water should always be wiped down before getting put out, etc there are endless things to clean and do and they just don’t seem to be getting done, I came back after two days off to a horrible floor with loads of footprints at the entrance and throughout and a huge round sticky spot by the garbage can, it didn’t look like it had been cleaned since Monday. Please I hate to feel like I’m the only one doing these things, especially because the busy season is upon us and we will need to work together to make sure that things look good and go smoothly.
FLOORING
I didn’t see the guys from Home Port flooring in today so I called them and left a message to see if they will get back to us.
COOKIE DOUGH
I didn’t realize how late it was when I started making it, I did manage to get it balled up. It just needs to get put in baggies.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Well, looks like the weather gods misunderstood our prayers. We didn’t really mean more snow and torrential rains. But our guests are troopers, all wrapped up in rain gear, going whale watching, hiking, even biking.
CELL PHONE
We found our front desk phone. Yeah, Edgar!
FOOD
I ordered FSA for Friday and more eggs. Next week, we’ll try something new. I’ll order food from Tom Ashcraft. He uses local (as in Oregon, Washington, BC) purveyors and has his eye on sustainable, organic food to affordable prices (gallon of hormone free milk from Bow, Wa – $2.50, amazing innit?) and he delivers. Who says we can’t have it all?
March 30th, 2009 at 12:44 am
SPIEDEN BATHROOM HEAT:
Doesn’t work, never has…as long as we’ve owned it. We’ve tried to track it down numerous times, all to no avail.
NEWSPAPERS:
What Steffi said.
CLEANLINESS:
Ditto above. This and your amazing smiles and hospitality are what it’s all about!
WALK-INS:
Great work. Keep it up and pray for more good weather.
March 29th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
BAINBRIDGE TV
Seth came by and fixed the tv in the master bedroom temporarily by making it just a regular tv, not HD. Thank you so much! Wrote maintenance slip.
SPEIDEN HEAT
I emailed Cindy to please send electrical Dave over to have a look.
NEWSPAPER
Morning girls, please don’t forget to get a Seattle Times for our guests in the morning.
$$
Please make sure to keep all receipts when you go shopping. We are consistently off by $3 to $10 every time I reconcile cash.
INVOICES
Please put invoices, paid & due, in the safe.
Wow, what a gorgeous day. We had 4 walk-ins, had the doors open all day and couldn’t keep up with making more strawberry lemonade.
March 29th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
SPIEDEN BATHROOM FLOOR
THE heat does not work… that is my understanding and Olga says that it is always, always cold in there no matter how much you adjust the heat.
INTERNET
The internet was really sluggish this morning, and then not working at all for a while, it is fine now.
March 28th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
WESTERN PRINCE
I talked for a long time with Ivan last night about the oddity that everybody charges $75 per person for a whale watch trip this season, but Western Prince charges $76, why, why, why?
Western Prince gives 4% of their profits to salmon restoration organizations. No salmon – no whales – no whale watch tours – no visitors, get it? He said, he thinks he owes that to our environment. I loved him for that.
So, having said all that, he doesn’t want us to go through the trouble of manually changing the whale watch price every time we book with him. We can just leave it at $75.
Western Prince goes out daily at noon.
ISLAND PAPER
When Gerard comes on Monday for the Island Paper order, the filled out form is on the white board in the kitchen. More order forms are behind you on the back desk.
BAINBRIDGE TV SOME MORE
The master bedroom TV is not working again. I got phone counsel from Seth to no avail. He will stop by tomorrow and have a look. The guest thinks it’s the cable from the TV to the box. I think it’s the coaxial cable. Seth?
FOOD’N'THINGS
I’ll order FSA for next Friday (including teas) and will bring some luggage tags from E next week. Until then please go to the store if you need something.
CLEANLINESS
We are getting busier. Please don’t forget to put the garbage & recycling out. Have a look at our side duty list (on white board). Mop the floors, wipe things down, especially the fridges and everything in the lobby. Let’s keep our big white beauty sparkling clean.
Thank you all for your hard work.
March 28th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
LUGGAGE TAGS
I think we will need to order some luggage tags for down here at BR, the season is slowly starting but people are requesting more and more to leave their bags with us.
GROCERIES
Enough for the weekend, we may nee to order some yogurt, grapes etc by this coming Wednesday.
MOVING
Please remember that if you have to move someone from one room to another to make a note somewhere so that housekeeping can do a tidy on the room. This is really important as we are coming up on the busy season.
TONGS
We used to have two sets of small tongs and I can only find one right now. Has anyone spotted the second pair?
March 27th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Never mind!
Seth came by and fixed the T.V in about 20 seconds.
Thanks Seth, your the best!!
March 27th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
The T.V/satellite in the Speiden is not working. It says “no signal” and I have no idea how to fix it. I called Seth and put in a maintenance request.
Hopefully he can fix it.
Thanks!
March 27th, 2009 at 10:14 am
INK
I e-mailed Cindy to order us some more for the printer since I just put the last one in today.
TEA
We need to order more. All we have left are Earl Grey and Moroccan mint, plus what little is left in the basket.
March 26th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Butter and Jam
The individual portions in our small containers. We should probably cover the jams with plastic wrap.
TV channel guide
which will be in our new guest books is in our front desk resource book in case guests have any questions
March 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
FSA
I made an order today with Jerry FSA for just a few items.
I’m finishing up the list of channels for Adam and they should be done by tomorrow.
Quiet night guests all in and happy.
March 25th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
YOGA VOUCHER
Adam is creating a new and exciting special soon, involving yoga class add-ons to reservations. New yoga vouchers are in the voucher file with the other current adventure vouchers. Stay tuned for more info!
WESTERN PRINCE
Will have a sailing this Saturday at 1PM and will start to go out on the weekends at noon.
ISLAND CULINARY TOURS
Naoni from Hillside B&B is offering culinary tours this season. There is a 2 hour walking tour for $35 touring local restaurants, bakeries, delis and specialty food shops. And also a 3 hour shuttle bus tour for $50 visiting local farms. She offers a free shuttle tour to farms on 4/3 from 1-4 and a walking tour on 4/4 from 10-noon for us tourist industry professionals. Call her to sign up: 378-4730
March 25th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I went through all the new reservations from today (3.25.09) to the end of December 2009 and did the edit and save thing to fix the wierd $.20 tax thing.
I hope that fixes it.
-Dani
March 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Seth fixed ALL the T.Vs in the Bainbridge suite. So there shouldn’t be any more problems.
Thanks Seth!
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Just an FYI~
When you are booking a whale watch, the price that is in the system is good for all operators except for Western Prince they are $76.00 per person instead of $75.00. So if you choose to book with them remember to increase the rate in the reservation you are making.. Please leave the default rate as it is though.
Thanks,
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Lobby floor:
Jerry with Homeport flooring is going to come by on Wednesday to check the “wavy” floor by the front entry. It may be that we just have to live with it because the underlying floor is so uneven (the building is over 100 years old). But, they will still take a look at it. They wanted to stress again about keeping the temperature not above 70. The deal is that to keep the whole lobby at 70 (which is what the thermostat is trying to do) the floor has to be close to 100 in the colder months. I’m thinking that next winter, we may want to get a space heater by the front desk to keep your sweet little feet warm…
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Happy Birthday Steffi….I hope you have a great birthday…
Happy Monday to everyone else…
Remember not to just blog maintenance requests but to write them out for Seth also…
Thanks,
Cindy
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:23 pm
BAINBRIDGE TV
Wrote maintenance request. Guest is fine with “only” 2 working TV’s.
FOOD’N THINGS
Elena, will you let Dani know about our jam & butter serving innovations, please?
Got eggs, ordered coffee, made cookie dough.
Can you guys do FSA on Thursday, maybe do it together, so Dani can learn it?
Thank you, Soco, for singing the longest and most beautiful, but very long Mexican birthday song for me today. I loved it!
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
BAINBRIDGE REMOTE
The TV and remote in the king bedroom are not working when I turn the TV on a big white screen appears with a big black block to the bottom right of the screen. It looks like the guests tried to fix it themselves and had taken the card out of the front of the console. I will keep trying to figure it out.
March 21st, 2009 at 7:31 pm
LOBBY FLOOR
Laura & Cindy will tackle the issues with the lobby floor on Monday.
LOBBY SOME MORE
Let’s keep her clean! Please wipe counter, tables & sweep/mop floor, especially after breakfast and at the end of the day. Dust the shelves, make sure the glassware is polished, don’t forget the fridge & the microwave. It’s the first impression our guests have, let’s make it an immaculate one!
BODY CARE LABELS
Please let Raquel know, that Laura printed out some more labels for our body care products. I put them in Raquel’s box next to the safe.
What a gorgeous day. Yeah, rain shadow!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
NEWSPAPER
Beautiful Laura would like us to get 2 copies of the Seattle Times every morning. Subscriptions are not available here, unfortunately. So please run over to Kings as soon as you can in the morning or pick them up on your way to work. Thank you.
ROOM SERVICE
We had our first room service here at BR today. I didn’t charge the guest the 15% delivery fee, since we don’t have this written down anywhere yet.
So here is how it works:
1) The Back Door kitchen staff will call us and tell us that one of our guests ordered room service. Make sure you ask which room & what items where ordered.
2) Set up a tray with plates, silverware, wine glasses if applicable, etc.
3) Pick up the food at the Back Door Kitchen and two copies of the invoice.
4) Bring food (in boxes, don’t plate it) on tray, invoices and pen to guest room.
5) Have guest sign one of the invoices, give him the other one.
6)Apply charges to room and charge guest’s credit card (unless they paid cash).
Adam is working on our guest room directories. Once we have them, all guests will find a menu and a “how to order room service” sheet in their room. Once that is in place, charge the guest for the food plus 15% delivery charge.
7) Write confirmation number on signed guest invoice, put in an envelope, write “Back Door Kitchen” on it and put in safe.
Ask me if you have any questions. There might be times when it gets a little hectic, picking up food, checking people in etc. Make sure you let all guests know what’s going on, give the food a bit of priority, since it’s perishable.
Can we do this? Yes, we can!
March 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Hot water is fixed. YEA!
March 18th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
GROCERIES (FSA)
I placed an order via phone with Jerry today. I ordered what I think will get us through another week or so based on the bookings we have for now. The list of what I ordered is in your box Steffi.
HOT WATER.
This is my second blog (I think) about the hot water troubles. A lot of guests have been complaining about not being able to get hot water even when we are not busy and no one else is using hot tubs or showers. Can we please, please get this looked at by Rob maybe, or Seth? It is urgent since last night the people in the Lopez could only get barely warm water to fill their tub with.
March 15th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
FOOD
Elena will put in a FSA order for Friday and will ask the rep to check in with us on Thursdays for a Friday delivery for now. Let’s keep our white board current with things we need and blog about what we ordered.
EGGS
I got a whole bunch of eggs from Chris (they went like hot cakes this weekend). Please use (cook) in order (next cook box 2, then box 3, then box 4) etc.
Also please keep the egg cartons for Chris (on top of fridge)
CHRIS
It’s all about her. She is fantastic and we love her! She is gardening up a storm this summer and is in need of cardboard and newspaper to prepare her beds. Give her a ring, when we get in a food order or large appliances or so, she will pick up recyclables.
But wait, that’s not all. Chris will guest star with us this Thursday. Dani, will you show her at shift change how we set up the breakfast buffet, please? That’s new from the last time Chris worked.
NATURE
When driving to work this morning I saw a couple of bald eagles taking apart a medium sized mammal (yum), like 3 feet from my car. Every time I see eagles so close I’m amazed by these majestic creatures. They are huge and gorgeous. We are so blessed being able to live here.
MOST THOUGHTFUL GUEST OF THE WEEKEND
The most thoughtful guest of the weekend award goes to Andre, who left me not one but two “Der Spiegel” magazines, kind of a German version of the New Yorker. Thank you so much, you made my week!
March 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
THIEF!
Just a heads up to everyone, we recently learned from the police that there are some very determined thieves currently on the loose. It seems they have managed to break into a couple of cars and houses already. SO… everybody lock your cars and please make sure that the back kitchen door (it was unlocked this morning) and all balcony doors are well locked. Also check that any ground floor windows are also locked.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
ISLAND PAPER
dropped off an easy order form for us. It hangs on the pin board in the kitchen. Please indicate on the form what we might need (for us front deskers: office supplies). Their Rep comes Tuesdays.
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Now that we are open all week again, please bring the garbage and recycling to the curb (West Street).
SUNDAY: recycling for Monday pick up.
MONDAY & THURSDAY: garbage (not more than 2 cans) for Tuesday & Friday pick up, respectively.
INTERNET
went down island wide right in the middle of a ferry rush. Thank you, super patient and wonderful guests for your understanding. Thank you, Morgan, for grabbing your lap top, connecting it to the back up internet up at E and helping me out. Let’s all get in the habit of printing out today’s check-ins in the morning, when we print the housekeeping reports!
BIG BANG
shock the house when the wind picked up. One of the rope lights on top of the roof came loose and slammed against the building. Amazing Seth came by and took it down. We should take all of them down. Seth, thank you so much for all you do, especially coming by Saturday nights for emergency calls. You rock!
We are almost sold out and once again blessed with the nicest vacationers. Yeah!
March 11th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Well the guest in the Fidalgo canceled after being here for 30min. Apparently worked called him away. He said he liked the room though. I checked the room and everything is fine. He said all he did was set his bag down and then leave. So that’s why it’s not on the housekeeping report. That’s about it. Just the Marrowstone and the Orcas for breakfast. I hope I set everything up right for you Danni. Have a good one.
March 8th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
SCHEDULE
Just to keep us all on our toes I remade the current schedule. Dani will put it up tomorrow. Please have a look, thank you all so much for your flexibility.
March 8th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Hey Elena,
I see you point, with the jam & butter, but don’t like the idea of the garbage the individually wrapped items would entail. How about utilizing our little individual bowls and displaying them in an ice bowl? Let’s try that and see how that goes!
Thanks for all your hard work. Your chocolate covered strawberries were such a hit. Your reorganizing of the kitchen is excellent. Thank you.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:43 am
**Spring Forward!**
I changed the times on all the clocks in the rooms.
Jam and Butter
I had a guest make a very valid point today that I have been considering for some time now. The way that our jam and butter are set out right now are not very sanitary. You have on any given busy morning as many as 30 or more people dipping their spoons and knives into the same bowl of Jam and butter dish. It is always messy with plenty of crumbs making their way into both containers. Could we consider getting individually packaged butter and jam?
March 7th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
We lent the spare ipod radio/clock to the nice couple in the Marrowstone. Make sure to put it back in the back room after they check out.
Don’t forget….
DAY LIGHT SAVINGS…SPRING AHEAD!!
Steffi already changed the clock behind the desk and on the oven.
Please Make sure before you lock the hotel tomorrow that you change the clocks in all the rooms. Thank you! D and S
March 6th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
The art in the Skipjack and in the San Juan is fixed and back up.
Jerry with FSA is coming on Monday after 1 with yogurt.
HI everyone my name is Dani and I’m new.
March 5th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
SCHEDULE
revised schedule is up. Please look closely.
FOOD
FSA order will come tomorrow, Friday.
March 1st, 2009 at 4:35 pm
THE KITCHEN
It is all re-organized with labels were things should go, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE lets try to keep it this nice as long as possible. I moved all the things that we won’t be using any more to the top shelves and moved trays and ice buckets, bowls, dishes to the shelves above the mini fridge for easy access during busy breakfasts.
Romance package buckets and trays need to be polished I will ask Raquel if she can get us something to polish them with.
LOBBY FLOORING
As I was cleaning the floor today I noticed that the wood boards are coming apart and there is a big crack down the center off the lobby floor and you can see splitting in other parts as well.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
SAN JUAN BATHROOM
Will need to be cleaned tomorrow. Our guests in the Matia wanted to take a bath, but there is no drain stopper in the common bathroom, so I let them use the San Juan tub.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
MARROWSTONE I-POD RADIO
The Marrowstone guests wanted an i-pod docking radio. I gave them our spare. Please make sure to put the spare back into the box when they check out.
FRIDGE
Seems to be working fine. Thank you, Elena, for defrosting that.
SUCCIA HEAT
3 days on high, 3 days in the off position and 2 days in the middle didn’t make any difference in temperature. I left it in the middle. Waiting for Dave for further instructions.
SKIPJACK ART
Cindy, Laura & I are working on a way to fix that. Stay tuned.
February 27th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hello there:)
Dave will be down later today to check on the Sucia. But remember the best thing to do when a room is not getting warm is not to turn it down but to call Dave. He is pretty presistent about not ever turning the heat off, because when he comes to check it now, it will have been off and blah blah, so for the future just fyi.. Thanks….
Black Hair, Please save these details for an email. It would be better served emailing Laura and I directly right away.. THANKS…..
Elena, I will check with Laura on the Via Motif order, I think those all sound like great choices.
Dani Rand is our newest employee she is Dave the sign company guys daughter. Welcome Dani….
Please email me the update on the refrigerator as soon as possible in case we need to replace it, by chance is this the new one we got a about a year ago? If so then it may be on warranty..
Have a great Friday..
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Thank you, Elena.
I wonder if we have a dying fridge? Well, let’s defrost and then we’ll keep a close eye on the temperature.
SUCIA HEAT
So after 24 hours at 90, the room was icy cold. Turned the heat off now, let’s see what that does.
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
**REFRIGERATOR**
I put a rag there top soak it up for now but if we could get someone to take a look at it before we open that would be great.
I took everything out that I could to let it defrost while we are closed but…I noticed this morning that there is water leaking out of the bottom
February 21st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
**Little Black Hairs**
As I was walking through the hotel opening up rooms today I noticed that one of the beds had a few little black hairs I picked them off but I asked the girls if they had noticed them, and asked that they be more careful. They then showed me something very unnerving the upstairs laundry room has little black hair that has made its was into the carpet and the machines. Despite their best efforts the hairs are stuck in the rubber surrounds of the washing machines and the lint screens of the dryers. The have run the machine with just water, cleaned it out with rags even vacuumed it and still no luck. They say that they are having to pick the hairs off the sheets, pillow cases, towels and bathrobes as they fold and iron them. The issue seems to only be upstairs which is even stranger. Does anyone know where these little black hairs could be coming from? The girls said they will do their very best to make sure the hairs don’t make it into any beds but, I shutter to think what would happen if a guest slipped into a bed with hair.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
BREAKFAST BUFFET STYLE
OK so everything went pretty well though there are some things which need to be fine tuned and some items which if it is at all possible could be purchased… Don’t worry its not a lot.
1… Some sort of Bamboo table runner for the counter so it looks more cohesive Via motif has a great Palm wood one that is 13″x60″ perfect for our counter
2… A smaller coffee tray? Again Via Motif has a great one that is only 16″x16″
3… this is the last one… Via Motif has a couple of great baskets (for scones and toast) and a stand that would really help us get the most out of the counter space we have.and a silverware holder that doesn’t take up so much space.
Other than that the pitchers we have are fine, the big bowls we used for yogurt before are great, the big white platters we have will work for fruit.
February 20th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
RANDOM OTHER THOUGHTS (WORK RELATED)
We won’t stock soy milk and plain yogurt on a regular basis anymore. We will buy soy milk as a special request. We will buy plain yogurt when we order large amounts of food, but won’t buy it retail if we are out for a couple of days.
Our freezer needs defrosting. I think we have to do the entire fridge. Elena, can you move everything into the little fridge on Sunday and defrost the guy, please?
February 20th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
BREAKFAST BUFFET
Today is the day we go back to serving breakfast buffet style. I put stuff (cereals, butter, jam, milk, OJ, plates, buss tray, etc.) together tonight. Elena, let me know how that worked, what we need to fine tune.
Also: very important: if our guests saw on Trip Advisor or our Rack cards that we serve breakfast in the room and they had their heart set on it, by all means: YES, WE CAN. Have them fill out a breakfast form (they are behind you by the beach cruiser release forms) and let the morning person know via blog.
SCHEDULE
New schedule is up.
SUCIA
I’m experimenting with the Sucia heat (it is still ice cold in there). So I turned it to 90, don’t touch, let’s see how that feels tomorrow.
I let Seth know about the Speiden blinds. Don’t know how to deal with the art next to the Skipjack. I took it down. Laura, bring it to a framer?
February 16th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Alright Morgan I forgive you (it was the puppy eyes)… really it wasn’t a big deal, we managed.
R.I.P
The art work to the left of the skipjack door had one of the corners cracked in a very noticeable way. I left it for now but is there something we can replace it with?
Maintenance request***
The chords on the blinds in the Spieden somehow came out of the little slot.
All else calm and ok.-:)
February 16th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Ah crud on a stick. Sorry Elena I totally spaced the silverware thing. So many folks were coming and going and needing things. I feel bad. Can you forgive me? *puppy eyes* Drop it off up here and I’ll roll it during my shift at EB.
February 16th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Yes, everything was fine this morning except that the silverware wasn’t rolled. Sorry for not coming up last night but I was in horrible pain with a thumb about three times it normal size after having slammed my car door on it. I’m much better today.
MATIA ESPRESSO MACHINE: I was able to fix it and put it back in the room
February 16th, 2009 at 6:26 am
Well hello strange new blog. Well for one of my rare cover shifts I hope I did ok. Had a few walk-ins. I prepped what I was told and with Elena’s over-the-phone guidance, I made an early departure brekkie for a guest. I hope the after-hours check-in got in ok and didn’t have to wake up Elena. How’s your thumb by the way? Well that’s about it. Hope I didn’t screw up too badly.
P.S. Elena, don’t forget to turn up the phone ringer. Thanks!
February 15th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Great night, all went smooth.
ESPRESSO MAKER
The espresso maker from the Matia broke. Elena, can you try to play your magic on it and if that doesn’t work, can you send it back on Tuesday? Please blog about. For now there is a drip coffee maker in the room.
SUCIA
Couldn’t get that room warm. Gave guest a space heater.
And that was really all the bad stuff. Tons of super nice happy guests. Ahh, the love… or was it Elena’s amazing cookie dough?
Happy rest of the weekend everybody. Call me at home if you need something.
February 13th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Hey Elena,
I hope you feel better today, or excellent actually!
SHAW
We had a bit of a mishap (ask Olga or I). The Shaw will be an early check in. Please go up and tidy the room first thing tomorrow.
ROMANCE
We have 2 Romance packages, see WRP.
COOKIES
Can you please start a cookie dough for me? My cookies are just never as tasty as yours and tomorrow they should be super good:)
RESTAURANTS
All restaurants in town are sold out. Vinny’s agreed to cook take-out for our guests. I will hop over and get it for them. Offer that to guests who don’t have reservations.
See you soon.
February 8th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Morning Elena:)
SAN JUAN DIRTY
Please clean the San Juan Suite for today’s arrival (as per your Mama).
FOOD
Don’t forget we’ll get a big food order on Friday.
Only buy food for the next couple of days. You have $20 in petty, if you need more, please get check from Cindy.
MAINTENANCE
Seth will have look at the shower in bath 1 and the bainbridge TV. Can you ask him to please bring the cushions for the outdoor furniture from storage and put them out before the weekend?
BREAKFAST
Orosco will be your fellow breakfast warrior this Sunday. After that we’ll go back to serving breakfast buffet style. Let’s talk about this on Saturday.
ALARMS
We are starting to get reservations and adventure/massage requests for the summer (yippieh ya ye). I would like us to start including the arrival date when we create an alarm, as in: book massage for 7/31/09 arrival. We would set an alarm like that for the beginning of July, but then, when we glance at the alarms in a hurry, we know, we don’t have to deal with booking this right this moment. Does this make sense?
Have a great week. I’ll see you on Saturday.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
The shared bath number 1 is leaking worse than ever we can’t get it to stop at all and the shower has a white ring all around because of the constant dripping, Olga says that it is also leaking out of the handles (Hmmmm… sounds familiar) Can we please look into this?
February 6th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
TV’s
Seth fixed the Cypress TV. I checked on the Bainbridge bedroom TV today and it needs some kind of programming. I’ll make sure we deal with that before next week.
EMPLOYEE SHOWER
Olga and I moved all the boxes out of the shower and ran some water and a hint of bleach through there. Smells fabulous now. We need to do that every week or so.
GARBAGE
Seth took all the garbage and built a roof over the bins, nice! Thank you.
FSA
I placed an order for Friday 2/13 for our big love & presidents weekend. It’ll come before I get here at 1. I’ll make sure somebody (Olga?) will be here to receive the order.
Lot’s of phone reservations today. Got some inquiries for this weekend and had them all stay at EB.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
SCHEDULE 2-9 to 2-22-09
is up. Please look closely, as always:)
PHONES
Please make sure you forward the phones to Earthbox when you close the hotel for a couple of days.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
SCHEDULE
We had to make some schedule changes and the schedule for Valentine’s week is up. Thank you all for your flexibility these days, we appreciate it!
WHALE WATCHING
Whale watch tour prices will go up to $75 (SJS)/$76 (WP) per adult this summer. I switched the prices in WRP.
Bainbridge bedroom TV
Doesn’t work, Elena & I tried it all. Seth knows.
January 29th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Marrowstone Gate
Scott will have the new hinges in next week…
Blown over fence
Seth and Regino will have the Fence and gate down below finished Friday..
Great job..
January 24th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
DOOR SOME MORE
One of us made a new key for the front door, instead of making a copy, thereby voiding all other keys. Please pay extra special super attention to that, always copy, never new! And I don’t mean that in any kind of philosophical sense.
January 24th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
DOOR (part XXVIIVX)
Yup, we are having issues. Morgan, Seth & I will run some tests, reprogram the keys, call Onity, etc. and we’ll go from there.
CYPRESS TV
Has issues too. No remote will work with it. Seth has a call in to Brian. I blocked out the room through next weekend.
And everything else is issue free here at Bird Rock!
January 24th, 2009 at 11:15 am
THE DOOR…AGAIN
Peoples keys still are not letting them in the front door. all the keys I tested for all the rooms don’t work. Can we please re-program them?
Moved the Cypress people to the San Juan, I know huge upgrade but their TV wasn’t working and they wanted to move only if it was close, and since it was late and we had the availability I just moved them over, so please remember to let housekeeping know next time they come that the Cypress is also dirty.
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
O.K. Looks like we are back in business blog wise. Maybe the blog had a bad day. It happens. We love you, blog!
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Yuchu Elena! Happy shift!
>
> FRONT DOOR
> is fixed for good. Thank you Seth, the amazing.
>
> PRINTER INK
> is in the bag of Bird Rock things I put together in E’s luggage room.
> Can you please put it in the printer and store the extra in the lower
> file cabinet in the back?
>
> EGG SITUATION
> Beautiful Laura bought us hot plates and pots. Please poke hole in
> eggs, put in cold water, bring to boil and let boil for 10 min (uncovered).
> ALSO: let’s ALWAYS unplug the hot plates after use.
>
> Thanks for all the things you do. See you Saturday.
>
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 pm
what?
January 18th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
DOOR
I had Morgan re-initialize the door and now the keys work again. Cindy, can you ask Seth on Monday if he ever replaced the lock, please?
January 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I received an all time high number of calls last night from guests whose keys would not let them back in the building. We need to get them re-programmed ASAP.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Oh, one more:
we are almost out of ink, so don’t print things other than guest receipts. Cindy ordered some more, will be here Monday.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
EGG COOKER
Our egg cooker is no more. We’ll cook eggs at Elena’s or in the San Juan if we don’t have guests and buy something soon.
HEAT
Please don’t forget to leave the heat at 65 in all rooms and please let the Housekeeping Goddesses know.
FERRY SCHEDULES
Morgan brought us some current ferry schedules. Thank you!
NEW BOOKING
There is a reservation in the new booking section. Please don’t process, I’ll deal with it.
And I think that’s it. It’s nice here tonight. The place looks great (thank you, Olga, Raquel & Regino), our guests are lovely and giddy to catch some sun and slack; a brave couple even took the beach cruisers for a spin.
January 16th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
WOW, the 2 weeks have gone by FAST… Welcome back everyone… Here are a few things to get you started..
2. Rack Cards and Business Cards for Earthbox: Business cards will be here by the end of the month, and the rack cards should be done in 30 -45 days (hopefully sooner, I will know more on Wednesday) If someone needs paper information please see Steffi or I.
4. Seth will be in on Monday 1-19-08
5. Tory will be back on the island around the 29th of Jan.
Have a great weekend, and welcome back everyone..
Cindy
January 5th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Jan 5, 2000
Laura and Adam and I are like quiet little mice.. Working away.. Happy 2009 everyone.. I miss you all and we will see some of you on the 16th of Jan..
It is so quite in here
December 31st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
We got her warm, our big white Bird Rock Lady. Thanks for you help, Dave.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!
December 30th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
CONGRATULATIONS
We have a very sweet couple staying in the Marrowstone and he proposed to her today at the Cattle Point Light House. Oh, so cute. She said it was so windy, that she didn’t know if the tears came from the wind or from the feelings. The Best from all of us here at Bird Rock!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
SAN JUAN – DAVE’S VERDICT
According to Dave everything works fine. But we can not keep turning the temperature up and down in this building and we should not, under no circumstances, ever (he meant it) turn the heat in any room under 65, even if we are closed. I will turn the heat in all rooms to 65 tonight (HK turned the heat off for the season) and we should get locked covers for the thermostats as soon as we can.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
SAN JUAN – THE VERDICT
The thermo is not responding, regardless what we do and that’s the truth. Dave knows.
ORCA
Our guests in the Orca will join us for a 3rd night on 1/1/09. Elena will make breakfast on 1/2 (thank you), there will be no desk service.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
$$
Cindy will put out the paychecks on Thursday, 1/1/09. I will be in the Earthbox office 9AM to noon. Come and get ‘em! Please don’t deposit before Friday.
December 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
SAN JUAN
I have been experimenting with the San Juan heat over the last 3 days, turned it to 80, left it for a day, came back, it was coolish. Turned it to 60, left it for a day, came back, still coolish (feels like 55 in there, no matter what you do). I turned it to 65 (which if the thermo is backwards should be rather warm). Let’s leave it there for the day and see. Also, the San Juan is a very exposed room all the way on the top there. Maybe that’s the entire problem? And yes, Cindy, I think we should cover those up. More on this fascinating topic tomorrow:)
December 29th, 2008 at 10:48 am
SAN JUAN
Elena can you please see if the floor heat thermo was shut down in the SAN JUAN, Dave says if the floor heat thermo is turned down at all, it will take a while for the heat to warm back up in the room. I think we will need to put some sort of cover on these thermostats so that this does not happen.
December 28th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Ah, what a great day. It’s like some kind of ban was lifted. The phone rang a lot, mostly inquiries for March/April/May, made some reservations, had very nice (and very soaked)check-ins. Felt good.
When the rain came down in buckets I had a couple of leaks in the lobby, but only for the duration of the rain.
Elena, do we have some more ink for our printer? We are very low.
Happy Sunday everybody!
December 28th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
FERRY FOR FREE SPECIAL
We have a new special. See the email I wrote or check out http://www.guidetosanjuans.com/index.cfm?action=sji for more details.
December 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
SAN JUAN HEAT
I got a call from the guests last night saying that the room just wasn’t heating. So I had to move them to the Bainbridge which I knew would heat up the fastest with the fireplace. It looks like the San Juan is one of the rooms that has the numbers on the thermostat backwards. They are fine and happy now and will stay in the Bainbridge.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
ICE MACHINE
Seth Ran the cleaning liquid through it and got the machine nice and clean. It had yucky green stuff in the tubes. Maybe we should set some sort of alarm to do this on a regular basis.
SAN JUAN
Very, very nice couple who have met Adam before, I will put some champagne in the room tomorrow from him.
GROCERIES
Bought enough to get us through the rest of the week. And baked some white chocolate chip, cranberry, granola cookies, just a little experimentation, they turned out good but next time I will put some orange zest and add more cranberries.
Will have one breakfast tomorrow since the Bainbridge rescheduled again due to the weather.
LEAKS…
We had none… can you believe it? Even now that all the snow is melted we haven’t had any leaks and no burst pipes. YAY!!!
All else went very smoothly.
December 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I’m so sorry that we had to cancel the Christmas party. I was looking forward to some holiday cheer with all my crazy cohorts. In the absence of that, Adam and I have given you each a little card which is in your box up at Earthbox.
Lots of Love….
December 13th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Schedule
Is up through 1/25/09!
Champagne
We are out. I’ll bring some down from E. I don’t think we need to overstock things right now.
Food
I let the food order ride another week. Brought more petty cash, please go shopping if you need to (doesn’t look like it).
Fidalgo
Breakers keep popping from having a space heater. The breaker for the sink is in the luggage room (thank you Regino, for always being there when we need you, you rock!)
Decalcifying action at BR
Tory did the second floor, so what’s left is: Marrowstone, Whidbey, Saltspring and 3rd floor. Thank you, Tory.
I did my first tidy today. About time after 2 years! Thanks again, Tory, for showing me the chops.
See you all tomorrow, my fellow party animals.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
ELENA – Marrowstone guests arrived early. Regino was on the property so he gave them their keys. I talked to the guest and told him I thought you’d have the romance items in the room around 1′ish. I hope that works!
December 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
It was a very nice morning, especially with the smell of my experimental brown sugar and cinnamon scones filling the lobby. They were very tasty just 1 tbls to 21/2 cups of scone mix plus about 1/4 of a tsp cinnamon.
CLOSING…
Everything is secure. I will be coming up throughout the week to turn the Christmas lights on and off, I also cleaned out the kitchen fridge, which we should probably start to do every time we close so that the next time someone opens they don’t have to open a refrigerator full of bad fruit, yogurts, milk, etc.
CITRUS
Remember that there are lots of satsumas, oranges, and delicious juicy grapefruits up at Earth box.
THAT’S IT……… I THINK?!
December 7th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Elena,
2 check outs tomorrow and Raquel won’t send in the troops. So if you feel like it, clean them, if not, block them out. Either way, please let your mama know.
Thank you!
December 7th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Decalcifying Espresso Makers
I want to get this done before we close for the season. It is time consuming, but time we got. So: put a 1/4 teaspoon of decalcifyer (under kitchen sink)in water container of espresso maker. Let run until empty, fill back up, repeat, fill back up, repeat, until water runs clear and you can’t detect any detergent in either, water container or hot water coming out of machine. Blog which rooms are done. I did:
LOPEZ, BAINBRIDGE, SPEIDEN
Manual CC Machine
I got us a new one, it is in lower file cabinet, together with cc paper, in case the power goes out.
Ice Machine
Needs service. I’ll let Seth know.
More Romance
Elena, please don’t forget to pick up chocolate for Friday’s Romance package.
Quiet tonight, had one walk-in though.
Happy Nikolaus everybody (tonight the German St Claus either fills your shoes with sweets or beats you with scotch broom, depending on how good you were, ahh, gotta love the Germans)
December 6th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Elena,
the flowers for tomorrow’s romance are in the lobby fridge:)
December 6th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Christmas Lights
Regino fixed the lights, thank you! The icicle lights turn on by plugging in the cord right outside the kitchen door. The balcony lights turn on by plugging in the cord by the guest computer.
The tree looks great. Thanks, Elena!
December 4th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Hey Tory, again!
Jerry will drop off 3 doz eggs Friday afternoon. One of them is for me me me! Please pay him out of petty ($4.50 per doz), I’ll pay petty when I get down there later.
Chris did some serious egg research: the little air sack, which makes the egg easy to peel, only develops after 7 or 8 days after the egg has been laid. So when eggs are too fresh (there is such a thing?) they may be difficult to peel. That’s why I bought a little more, so they can age and we can bake seasonal things with them.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Hey Tory,
Steve dropped off the chocolates for Sunday up at Earthbox. I’ll bring them down tomorrow.
Happy shift!
December 1st, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I set up everything in the lobby for when the Christmas tree get delivered. This means I didn’t clean the floors very well just swept and they will probably need to be properly cleaned when we re-open.
Outside wreaths
The wreaths are setup so we don’t even have to go outside to turn them on. There are switches inside on the second floor.
I will be in if I get a chance before we re-open to decorate the tree, otherwise it can be left until I work on Saturday morning.
November 28th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Had a little problem with some of the TV’s not getting reception, I checked all of them and about 5 in all not receiving. Seth managed to reset and fix most of them after talking with the tech but the Whidbey and Marrowstone bedrooms only are still not receiving signal, sitting rooms OK though. TV still not back from repairs for Fidalgo sitting room just a reminder when selling it.
Could not find #2 keys, any ideas? I made up a new one for the guests walking in today.
Remember to remind guests about the art and craft fair at the elementary school today and tomorrow, it is really good. Till 5 today and 10-4 tomorrow (SAT)
November 25th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
CHRIS
Never mind about the planter trays. Laura found something perfect, tiles with rubber bottoms. They will be delivered to E and should come shortly.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
TORY
Please make something fantastic for Thanksgiving, like a pumpkin pie or pumpkin cookies. Also: if you like, start decorating the lobby Christmassy. I’ll bring decorations down there on Tuesday.
CHRIS
Laura bought some tiles for under the planters. I’ll put them in the luggage room. Can you play around with putting something scratch proof under them, please?
ELENA
Will you be the Christmas decorating queen for us down there, please? You are so good at that.
FUN WRP FACT
If you ever have to look up an older reservation and the system says: not found. Go to the reservation desk – search – set time to be searched (i.E. May 2008 – November 2008), then punch in the name or reservation number, and you’ll find it. Yeah!
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
November 24th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Adam’s parents are in the San Juan, so can you please make sure Raquel knows that it will need to be cleaned on Friday am, we have an arrival on Friday.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone…
November 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
FOOD
I ordered from the food coop and will pick it up on Tuesday. So, Elena, don’t hit me with your big stick when I enter the hotel. And Tory, please make sure there is enough fruit to get through the weekend when you open on Thursday.
Thank you all for your hard work and your flexibility.
Much Love
November 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Friday Morning here. Just reading the blog and there is a website pebblez.com that has natural stone trivets in 6×6 or 12×12 sizes that would look nice under the plants, as long as we choose something smooth and level so they will not rock at all (I am sure similar to the sandstone coasters we have.
I peeled an egg and it actually went pretty easy but I find some difficult at home too. I am wondering if they are so fresh that they cling to the shell. The next time eggs are cooked here next week they will be a week old so may notice a difference. Most eggs are weeks old by the time you get them. They sure are yummy though. And the girls are just so cute and happy to lay them for us!
November 17th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I think it is a great idea to just sell the room Steffi with one TV, hopefully it won’t take to long to have the TV sent back to us, Seth is going to ship it out today.
I am not sure where the manual cc machine is, BUT you could probable go to Wells Fargo and ask for another one, it is good to have one for when the power goes out..
Laura, my posting went all the way to the bottom when I clicked on POST, thank you so much for fixing that.
Steffi, Laura is working on getting some tile for the bottom of the flower boxes to help with the leaking, LAURA where are you at with that?
Thursday, Tere is leaving, those of you that would like to join Raquel,Tere and friends at Downriggers on Wednesday night at 6PM they would love to have you, it will be dutch treat..
Happy Monday.
Happy Monday,
November 16th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
EGGS – CHRIS
The new eggs are really hard to peel. Did you have the same experience when you did a test egg? Maybe we can experiment with cooking techniques?
PLANTS – LAURA
What do you think we should do with the gorgeous planters leaking onto the furniture?
CC MASHINE – ANYBODY/EVERYBODY
Does anybody know where are manual cc machine is?
FIDALGO TV – SETH
Seth will take the front room Fidalgo TV tomorrow and send it back. I think we should just go with one TV in there until we get a replacement and call upcoming reservations about it. Laura, Cindy?
MARROWSTONE GATE
It’s swollen and doesn’t close. Guests can’t lock it for privacy. I’ll ask Seth for ideas.
I think that’s all. Happy upcoming week everybody!
November 15th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
FOOD COOP
I won’t be ordering food for this week. Please go to the store if we need something. I’ll put in a large order next week.
SCHEDULE
Is up. K & T, please look at the fine print for 11/26 & 11/27. Thank you guys.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
KAITLYN:
Your frames are here at Earthbox in my office.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
The Flat Screen in the Spieden is working again. Spa guy just stopped by and took care of a few things. Chlorine way low and filter clogged. Also the gate to the Marrowstone is in need of some attention. I don’t really know what the problem is. But I did fill out a maintenance slip for Seth.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Yeah, we are back in business.
TORY
Please pick up the food coop order on Wednesday, pretty much right when you get there (get order list from fridge, get check from Cindy). Also, please go fruit shopping for the weekend at MP, don’t forget green apples. Thank you. See you Thursday.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
ROTATE
We had a whole bunch of yogurts and a milk expire today, because when we stocked, we didn’t rotate the dairy. When you put away a food order, please always move the old stuff to the front and the new stuff in the back. Otherwise it’s waste we don’t believe in!
I-POD RADIO
I lend our spare i-pod radio to our guests in the Marrowstone (they have a CD player as a clock). Please make sure you’ll get it back and put it back in the box. Very important are the 3 different size i-pod adapters. Make sure you got them.
MANUAL CC MACHINE
Done estas? Anybody?
Lot’s of walk-ins tonight, got only 3 rooms left, yiepiehh!
November 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
ELENA
Happy Birthday, Sweety! Have a grand time in the big city and party your pants off!
OPENING
When opening the hotel after our midweek closure, please be there at 10:30, so we can check in guests coming from the 10:40 ferry. Also: I will call guests checking in on those days with our office hours (like next Wednesday, Tory will open at 1, guests have been called).
REVIEWS
Please read email regarding reviews over the next couple of weeks. Be afraid, be very afraid. No, I’m just kidding. We love you!
November 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Schedule
I have had to make some schedule changes with the upcoming weeks so please everyone make sure you check the schedules. Tory will you please check with me about something new for next week.:)
I will be sending out a updated schedule later today for next week, so stand by…
Happy Thursday
November 5th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Your resident burglar here. I was just stopping by to check a few things out at BR. Sorry to worry you, Elena!
November 5th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
the Pitter patter of a burglar?
You may not believe this but I can hear just about everything that goes on upstairs from my apartment especially when we are closed.So if you are going to be stopping by for an after hours visit an advanced warning wouldn’t be a bad idea otherwise I get worried and I’m forced to arm myself with a stick and go upstairs to check out whats going on. (Steffi has first hand experience with this ha ha)Joking but seriously I get sort of worried that we are being robbed sometimes.
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Just a note…
I had to say no but they weren’t too happy, so I had to give them till noon.
A lot of guests lately are confused or don’t know what our check-out time is, it happened again today at 11am one of our guests came down and wanted to know what time check-out was. When I told him, he asked to check-out at 1:00
November 1st, 2008 at 9:22 pm
DOOR BLOCKING
Elena agreed to take on the blocking and unblocking of the door, so when Chris reopens the hotel, she doesn’t have to crawl over the gate, dig a tunnel under the hotel and enter through the sewer. Simply use your key card and get in. Thank you, Elena.
TORY
Please don’t forget to turn all the clocks back an hour tonight. We get to sleep an extra hour, yeah!
Outsourced
Is the movie we saw last night. Really quaint little independent movie from a Seattle film maker. So this guy in Seattle works as a phone salesman for kitschi Americana items (porcelain eagles and such). His job gets outsourced to India. Before getting laid off he needs to go to India to train his replacement. The guy he is training hands him his card, reading: future call center manager and there is a cow in the half built office. It’s a really touching movie about the global economic situation, being a stranger and that we are all just people. It got Bollywood music, a love story and I laughed out loud a bunch.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:08 pm
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
New schedule is up.
More rack sheets and breakfast forms made.
Chris: Food Coop order for Wednesday is on fridge, please get check from Cindy.
This message was brought to you by Steffi, the Customer Service Manager.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:07 pm
last one for today…
the construction schedule is “supposed to be” mon-thurs. starting sometime around 7am. i have made the phone calls for this week to guests.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:49 am
don’t forget to clean out the egg cooker RIGHT after your done. the brown stuff comes right off if you do it while its fresh. (there was yucky on it when i tried to cook eggs today….ewwwie.)
also…looks like we are having some issues with the mini fridge. (the door not closing and the base is off kilter…so the cooked eggs are in the big fridge marked COOKED EGGS on the carton.
cheers!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:56 am
don’t for get to open the e-mail… ha ha ha. we had a bunch of stuff in there from over the week.
cheers!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:15 am
just a shinanigans note cause i haven’t seen this much weird stuff in a while.
so…the breakfast people are still hoping for all that closing help we usually get with breakfast prep…since our schedule has changed to 7:30 arrival…
we were wayyy low on orange juice…i had enough to fill one carafe and had to make more….
dirty cutting knives in the drawer…
frosting uncovered and with forks sticking out in the fridge…(some cookie fun??)
eggs left out on the counter…
night manager signs not put out in window or desk for guests…
printer had no paper…(we need some in there always for faxes)
and if there are groceries that we need to get…please don’t leave it for the morning person. there just isn’t any time. sorry…
don’t forget to leave some half and half covered in the fridge for guests who make yummy coffee in their rooms.
thanks!!
October 30th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
PHONE FORWARDING
Tory and I had a phone forwarding test party and here is what we found out: if you forward BR’s phones to the 5800 number and E doesn’t pick up, it goes to E’s voice mail. Utterly useless for our guests. But: if you forward BR’s phones to the 4000 number the call center picks it up. So on Mondays, please forward the phones to the 4000.
FRONT DOOR
Also on Mondays we’ll need to block the front door, not just lock it. Cindy made us labeled blocking & unblocking cards, which are in the top drawer of the safe. So when we close: block the door, put blocking key back in safe, leave through front door. When we reopen: either enter through the kitchen with your master key or pick up a unblocking card from E. Ask me if this is confusing. I think it is.
Much love.
October 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
PEER REVIEWS
Please don’t forget to submit your peer reviews & employee surveys by tomorrow (put in sealed envelope in E’s safe with Laura’s name on it). We will conduct employee reviews starting in a couple of weeks, yeah.
Also: VOTE!
I am Steffi, and I approve this message.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Dishes
The dishes in the back room, were dishes that Raquel and I thought may work for the breakfast service, after we received them Laura and I think they look to cheap, the bowls look like plastic. I will talk to Gerard today.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Elena, thanks for taking care of everything down there. I would like for you to turn the outside lights on at night and turn them off in the morning. That would be great! Thank you.
October 27th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
WALK INS
Here is what beautiful Laura says about walk ins on Sundays or Mondays: if a guest stays on a night we won’t be open the following morning, we will leave a light breakfast in the lobby fridge, inform the guest that there will be no counter service in the morning and give a $15 discount for the inconvenience. Then we’ll call Elena to lock the building after the guest checks out and leave a note for Olga to clean the room when we reopen. Makes sense?
PHONES
Elegant Elena forwarded the phones to E for the next 3 days. So when the 5800 number rings, please answer: “All kind of hotels with various names, this is…, how can I help you” Kidding, of course:)
October 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
CLOSED
We are officially closed all the doors are locked lights are all off for now, I will come up before I go down to the restaurant and turn on just the hall lights and maybe a couple of the lobby lights just so it doesn’t look so dead,
Laura do you want some of the outside lights on at night? I can come up in the morning and turn them off. I did a nice deep clean on everything swept behind the refrigerators and in the lobby to make it less enticing for mice or rats in the winter days we are closed.
I Put up a sign on the door saying we are closed and will re-open on Thursday, left the front desk cell on it too in case of emergencies, referred them up to Earth box while we are closed etc.
All heaters are off and the phones are forwarded to Earth box for now.
October 26th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I meant front room TV:)
October 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
FIDALGO
The bedroom TV is doing the flickering again, microwave is not in use. I really think there is something wrong with the unit. I will confer with Seth tomorrow. Maybe we should send the unit back, what do you all think?
October 26th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
KEYS
Morgan & I remade all the keys with the new E cards. Elena, can you please switch the 4 which are out tomorrow? I’ll leave them on the desk.
DISHES IN LUGGAGE ROOM
What are they for? Where are they from? What do they want?
DEADBOLT BETWEEN LOPEZ & BAINBRIDGE
Our deadbolt key doesn’t open that door. Does anybody know how to open that?
MID WEEK CLOSING
Don’t forget the new office hours starting tomorrow. Please forward the phones (to Front Line or E, Cindy, Laura?), make sure the food (i.e. nothing on the counter) and the building is secured.
WALK INS
One thing we haven’t discussed at our meeting: if I had a walk-in tonight, wanting to stay 2 nights, at what point would we remain open, one deluxe room, 2 rooms?
Happy sunny Sunday, everybody!
October 25th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
PARKING
One of our guests got 3, I kid you not, 3 parking tickets today. He was so upset and rightfully so. I offered to split the cost with him, but he would prefer if we bought a sign for the front desk.
This is another one of those things we need to explain at check-in: the espresso makers, the earplugs, the remotes, the beds and the parking, every time. It is no fun to come back from a day out and about on our beautiful island and then see all those tickets on your car.
FLOWERS
Just a reminder: A bouquet of flowers costs $55 to our guests. Please charge accordingly and quote the correct price. I won’t charge the difference to our guests in the San Juan, just for the future.
PATOS
I don’t have a breakfast form for them (stay-over), was there one this morning?
CYPRESS
Has no I-pod radio and was hoping for one. Do we have spares? Can we order another one?
Gorgeous day out there. I love our red leaf maple and the weeping willow. It’s like autumn in pot.
October 25th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
FOOD COOP WEDNESDAY
I will not do a food coop order this week. Please go to the store if you need something. Dankeschoen!
October 25th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
BIKES
We had more usage this morning than normal which is why I realized we should probably be checking them more often for issues, we had a loose set of handle bars, flat tires etc. this morning. In fact one of our guests was nice enough that they bought something to tighten the handlebars with and left it for us to use in the future.
OUR STUFF
Our guest in the Orcas said she has really been enjoying our towels, linens, shampoos, etc. and wanted to know if they are for sale. I told her Steffi would be here later and that she could make up a list of what we carry and let her know if we could sell any of the products.
Rez. #1340345
Stayed with us and thinks she may have left something behind I have her number and am just waiting to hear back from housekeeping.
October 24th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
i couldn’t find the toilet plunger this evening so steffi brought us one from elements. THANKS. its up in the second floor housekeeping.
some breakfast forms were not turned in. they may be on the desk in the morning….sorry. i try to tell folks to have them in by 9pm.
marrowstone does not want housekeeping on saturday. thanks.
October 24th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
THANK YOU!
Thank you all for coming to the meeting. Your participation in these meetings is so vital to our organization. I really appreciate it. Not to mention what you do every single day…
I have a special thanks to Steffi and Cindy for holding down the fort this summer. You guys are champs!
LOTS of love and gratitude,
Laura
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
Just a heads up to all.
I got a call from the call center last night that a lady had called in concerned for her friend (in the Lopez). Apparently she and her husband are having some very big marital problems and she had not answered her phone all day. Anyways I came up and knocked on their door and got no answer twice, so I ended up calling the friend back and she told me that the husband had left her here and that she had just talked to her friend, why did I write this long winded story? I had two breakfasts…slow and just in case she may want to leave a day early we all know why and can maybe not make this harder than it probably already is for her.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
attention attention…the gardeners said that the flowers from the san juan balcony could use some water about every three or four days…while we still have stuff planted up there. and also there are some plants in the speiden on the little deck that are under the eve that do not get water as well. thanks!
October 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
LOTION STICKERS: I ordered new stickers and they will be a arriving in a week or so.
BLOG: I think why some comments are awaiting moderation is that whenever a new name is used, the system requires me to moderate the comment. So, an example would be how Elena wrote her name differently and Steffi put Esteffi. Just something to keep in mind… If you use the same name that you have always been using, it should work just fine. If not, please let me know.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
seth came by and thinks that perhaps the tv flickers in the fidalgo when the microwave is on at the same time as the tv. also….no idea why the water did the thing it did. because….if there is no hot water in one room on the ground floor…there would be no hot water in all the rooms on the ground floor. they all feed off the same tank. the sink and the shower feed off the same tank (same pipes) as well.
October 19th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
FIDALGO FRONT ROOM TV
Several guests noticed flickering. Seth checked it out a week ago, no flickering. I checked it out today, no flickering. Does anybody have any idea what that could be?
October 19th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
MARROWSTONE