Dog Days Of Summer

People love to advise me ........ Tell me how to make my life better. Sometimes they will contradict themselves.

Seems I should not work such long days. I should just close the door and take a nap ..... no matter the revenue lost. Then later in the same conversation I am told that we should be open longer hours ..... we could make more money. When I point out that 12 hours is about all I can handle I am told to hire help. Help, you say, will make my life a breeze. In order to pay the help, I would need to raise the rates ....... But, no, you can't do that, you will lose business.

Kind of like raising the minimum wage. It can certainly be done, but what those making minimum wage don't seem to understand is that the money has to come from somewhere; meaning that prices for goods will rise and the cost of living will go up and there you go ------- back to square one. By my own calculations I come nowhere near minimum wage for myself.

We have hired people from time to time. Local people who would seem to be down on their luck and need help or kids who want a summer job. That doesn't work out for us. They will either do a lousy job or complain that their time is worth more than we are paying. We pay a flat rate of $10 an hour. If you work 5 hours, you get to put $50 in your pocket. Seems like a good deal to me. But they will complain that their skills are worth twice that, which brings me to wonder why they aren't employed if their skills are so valuable.

I don't feel I get my money's worth if I have to re-do what they have done. I am funny like that. If you see me on a weekend, you would think that I sit upon my throne behind this desk and do little else. I am in here for 12 hours. What you don't see is that I have been working for 2 hours before I open the door. I could on and on about all that I do, but whining is not attractive. For the most part I am content with my week day life. The weekends are tiring because I have to open earlier and then there are lots of people here.

Lots of people means lots of cleaning and picking up and speaking. My throat is sore on Mondays. I have a litany I repeat what seems like a thousand times a day "The pool is open to the public from 11am til 7pm. You have paid for the entire day and are free to come and go if you choose as long as your name is on the sign-in list. You may not substitute friends or family members for later in the day." And, now, after this weekend I have to add ..... "Please refrain from putting the chairs in the pool. The water will weaken them and they will break and I will expect you to pay for them. If you see somewhere else put the chairs in the pool, please tell me and I will treat you to a fine show of public humiliation. They are being told the same, so keep this in mind should you be tempted to put a chair in the pool." I am hoping this will act as a deterant.

The next step will be more surveillance cameras closer to the pool and another monitor in my office. The monitor is currently in the living quarters. My dog Toni Louise is a big fan of TV and will watch the monitor as I cook and will let me know if anyone approaches the door. I know you are there before you even open the door ...... unless she is napping. And it is not called the dog days of summer for nothing