I Need Worker's Compensation

I had a pretty decent weekend although I was forced to work the entire weekend. Sh*t I have to work today, tomorrow, and Thursday and then off to Chicago for the weekend for me.

I talked to my mother yesterday. Oh not only is my 18 year old cousin pregnant for the second time and her babies will officially be a year apart, the new baby is due in February, but it’s by the same crazy ass dude. I guess I can’t be mad, sh*t at least the kids have the same father although dude has about two big ass florescent lights out upstairs. This little nigga is nuts and I mean in the crazy sense. In the “Ima burn this muthaf*cking house down with you in it” crazy. Sure I say the same sh*t when I’m angry but I’m no fool. He, on the other hand, is.

Apparently my brother found a good job at a nursing home but oh decided after getting one paycheck that his “working days are over”. So my mother kicked him out *finally*. He’s staying at my aunt’s right now looking pitiful. I should know because I got the drunken phone call at 3:34 am. Yeah I picked up, I was assuming the worst but no it was my aunt updating me on the same sh*t my mother had called about hours prior. Do I feel sorry for my brother? Hell f*cking no! He’s about to be 20 f*cking years old and still want to depend on my mother like he’s 11 or something. Talking about can he have some money so he not his children whom my mother is basically raising, can buy some Jordans.

*sigh*

Boy you gotta love my family. So I’ve been instructed not to give him any money. Like I was going to part with my hard earned cash anyway. I know one thing, he better not show up on my doorstep.

And speaking of children…apparently my niece’s mother **his second baby mama…boy you gotta love those “hood codes” of adulthood** is pregnant…again…with her third child. Did I mention she’s only 18…and she just had my niece in April?

*sigh*

Apparently she was on “The Shot” *of course…they always are….funny how I was on the shot for over 3 years and my boyfriend shot hella loads in me but not once did I end up pregnant…never missed an appointment* but she misses one appointment and ends up pregnant. Her excuse? Her doctor went out of town. Last time I checked at the clinic anyone can give you “The Shot” and if your primary practitioner went “out of town”, other doctors will pick up his/her load until that doctor returns. And then again, this is the f*cking clinic! Nurses administer that sh*t not doctors!

But what do I know?

Oh no worries though, she’s not keeping this one. But she’s already 9 weeks along. So I’m like...”So when does she plan on waltzing her way into the clinic to get this done? I mean anytime before the first trimester should be good, you know whenever she’s ready. And tell me they’re going to do some illegal sterilization while they’re up there?”

Apparently that wasn’t funny. Sh*t it was funny to me. I laughed and laughed. My mother told me I have a mental problem and hung up.

Can you believe that? My mother hung up on me. She’s “Pro-Life”. I’m “Pro-Choice”. Only difference is she’s not blowing up clinics and she does believe that victims of rape/incest should have the right to abort the fetus. Otherwise she’s just as crazy as the folks from PETA. I’m surprised the damn girl told her, I blame sheer stupidity, you really think my mother is going to let you scrape one of her grandchildren out your body? Me…eh I believe that if I take the proper methods outside of abstinence *which just ain’t happening over here* such as birth control and condoms and by some method, stubborn sperm, cheap ass pills, watered down Depo solution, old rusty condom that had no business being in your wallet…whatever and I still get pregnant it’s off to the clinic I go but only after I get a second, third, and fourth opinion and I have a serious discussion with the father. Not to mention a lawyer because I’m suing somebody up in this piece. And if I still do not want it, well…I’ll cross that hurdle when and if I get to it.

There’s a difference between f*cking, no protection no birth control whatsoever and seeing an abortion as the “ultimate birth control” *and trust I went to a high school where girls discussed their trips to the clinic like they went grocery shopping. Bragging on how that was their third or fourth abortion and even told each other “tricks” to get more because after the fifth or something no one will do them anymore as you probably have enough scarring on your uterus to prevent from having children period. Ah gotta love inner city high schools* and taking preventative methods, get pregnant and still don’t want the baby. Sh*t it’s some people who feels as though they’re not stable enough to have a child for whatever reason. Everyone doesn’t have a support system that can help when times are rough. And I know that some men are trifling as sh*t. Whoop and holler about “not killing his baby” and “oh he’ll be there for her and the baby” and nigga is gone by due date. Can’t get him to buy a pack of baby wipes for the baby he wanted. Ladies, and that leads into another lesson: don’t have babies to keep a man. Just don’t. You heard that from Tenacious. And then there are folks who just shouldn’t have children period. I can smell the bad parenting from a mile away. But then again, that’s me.

**hops off of soapbox before it’s blown apart by a Pro-Lifer**

*sigh*

So great, I have to come home to all of that on Friday in addition to sitting down and ironing out wedding details.

And I still have to get my dusty ass up to take a shower so I can be yelled at from folks. Gosh you have to love the hospitality business. You just have to.

Like the argument I got into Saturday over parking. Look you pay for parking at basically any hotel in the Washington Metro Area. There’s a few where you don’t and that depends on the hotel chain and location. But trust you’re going to pay and considering the prices to park in other locations, we’re cheap as f*ck. In fact we get hella people who just park in our garage who’s not even guests of the hotel! So this one lady, you know she had to be Black, why is it when I’m working Black folks have to give me a particularly hard time? White folks, oh they grumble and go on a letter writing campaign to Corporate, our GM or RM. We give them a free breakfast and it’s all good.

Oh. No. Not Black folks.

And I hate to be a b*tch about this because it’s not just Black people so don’t think I’m just stereotyping but in my experience since working in a hotel for almost a year, Black folks usually are my headache and forces me to “get gutter” when needs be. But Whites and “others” have gotten the viper tongue as well.

Black folks want free parking, room and tax, dinners, room service…the works when sh*t does not go “their” way. And because I grew up in the same f*cking family with the same f*cking people I’m talking about, I know muthaf*ckers just find sh*t to complain about to get, what else, free sh*t!

Granted, we work with you if it’s some sh*t that’s our fault. Let me put that in big ass letters OUR fault and depending on the severity that’s how we work with you. Now sh*t that’s your fault…yeah holla back.

You can’t demand a free room when you’ve stopped up our toilets with your monstrous poo. In fact we should charge you because you’ve f*cked up our toilets! One man demanded we give him a free night because our toilets are cheap! Nigga you know you stop up the toilets at home with your constipated ass. Eat some f*cking fiber so you’ll be regular.

Oh we should give a free dinner because the airport lost your luggage. Last time I checked, we don’t own American Airlines. And what does this have to do with us specifically? Oh because you were rushing to the airport and got there at the last minute so it probably didn’t make the flight. Hmmm…sounds a little personal. Take that up with American Airlines.

The sinker is the ones who come in at 7am and demand a free room because why else…their room is not ready. Um yeah, check in is technically at 4pm and if there’s rooms clean, not even a problem but if we were sold out the night before **meaning every single f*cking room in the hotel has a body in it** then unfortunately you have to wait. And spare me with the “Oh well [another hotel chain] guarantees early check in because you’re lying! NO hotel in their right mind would guarantee that because the numbers change daily. Unless that hotel is never full, that’s the only way one can always get an early check-in. The earliest I would say a room is available is 11 am. And that’s because housekeeping starts cleaning at 9am. And unless you call the night before so you can be pre-checked in is also another way to get a very early morning check in. And sometimes you have to pay for that! But we’re not going to give you a free night’s stay because you’ve booked an early flight.

The list goes on and on and as Black folks we’re not budging an inch and yall know…I’m f*cking Tenacious! You definitely ain’t getting sh*t and ooh don’t come at me the wrong way. I just walk off. Now you’re not getting sh*t from me or anyone else.

I love my Black people but not when I’m working.

So this lady wanted to argue about parking stating oh she’s a rewards member *don’t you love that* and how’s she’s stayed all over the world and has never had to pay for parking. Yeah I’m sure parking camels are pretty cheap.

I wasn’t going to argue with her. I stated our parking policy, everyone pays and since I haven’t been overseas I’m not aware of their parking policies but here in the US, especially in Washington, DC you’re going to pay for parking. Now you can pay our fee or take your chances with the meters *only other option* but oh yeah those tickets are $25, which quickly goes to $40. And they will keep putting one on your car, there’s no “one ticket limit” on cars in Arlington. And Arlington County sure loves putting boots on vehicles.

She started to get loud and demanded that I comp her parking. And I refused but this time I got the stupid little smirk on my face because I really don’t like for people to get loud and indignant with me because it just brings out the “inner Ghetto chick” in me. And besides, lady wasn’t my mama, she wasn’t just going to holler at me over f*cking $12.

I just told her I did not like her attitude and as a ”professional career woman” she should be ashamed of herself for acting like a “commoner” in front of the entire staff as well as patrons of the hotel. Very unfitting and as an individual I don’t have to put up with this. Until she calms down and talk to me in a respectable tone, just because you have a Gucci purse does not give you the right to talk to me as if I am beneath you as my job is just as important as hers, this conversation is over. If she chooses to park in our hotel’s garage it will be $12, otherwise I can find you accommodations at another hotel. Where the average fee is between $16-$28 and that’s just for self parking. And she was dismissed. I handed her room keys to her and asked her to step aside so that I could assist another guest.

I knew the “professional”, “career” and “commoner” would get her, I know the “bougie” type when I see it, so she piped down, snatched the parking pass and stomped away.

All while I smiled. The people behind her went to another person, I guess they didn’t want it with me.

You do not want it with me. I’m great at what I do but don’t ask me to be a “people’s person” because I don’t budge an inch…Unless it’s our fault. I think businesses spend way too much time cuddling complainers. F*ck them, let them go elsewhere. Sure I could tell ten people easily how much of a bad time I had but how many people will honestly think, “Wow Tenacious had such a bad time, I’m not going to go there either”, sh*t maybe one or two. If that. And they might not go to the same particular place I went to but it’s not going to stop them from going to another franchise in that same chain. And I tend not to follow someone’s opinion on something because I know it’s distorted…or their opinion just doesn’t matter anyway *lol*. And some folks wouldn’t know what was “good” and “bad” if it bit them on the ass. Like I hate Applebee’s. Will never eat at any Applebee’s in my life. Why? I got food poisoning from one restaurant and besides I hate the food. I tell anyone *including yall* my disgust for that franchise. Will that stop any of yall from going? Probably not. Has it stopped any of my friends from going? Hell naw. Only person suffering is my boyfriend. That’s one place we’ll never eat together but when he’s with friends where do they go? F*cking Applebee’s. I’m not stopping any show here, so businesses stop treating complainers like they are because they’re probably not and they’re probably costly on your part.

All businesses are doing are breeding more complainers. Damn that. Folks pass along an unpleasant visit but if you give them a lot of free sh*t, they pass that along as well. “Oh I stayed at the such and such and I had a bad stay *insert problem here* and they gave me a free night’s stay. *insert light bulb over head* So if I stay somewhere similar and make the same complaint, I could get free sh*t too. And that’s exactly what they do because notice when they don’t get their way, what do they do? Bring up the friend or family who got something free when the same thing happened to them.

And of course you know she came back later to tell me the same thing. She just got a “that’s nice” and a dismissal. Look stop being cheap and pay the $12.

And that’s a night into the wonderful world of Tenacious’ job.

Any work gripes that anyone would like to share?